Sharp attack by Bennett on Netanyahu: "The gravest betrayal in the history of the state"

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sharply attacks Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with Ben Caspit on Walla, calling the Qatargate affair "the gravest betrayal in the history of the state." Bennett unveils an economic plan to close draft-evasion budgets, attacks Gadi Eisenkot over the big party's campaign, rules out cooperation with Ofer Winter, and accuses Netanyahu of capitulating to Biden and retroactively changing security protocols.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett launched an unprecedentedly sharp attack on Benjamin Netanyahu in a pointed interview with Ben Caspit in the Walla studio. Bennett called the Qatargate affair, in which Netanyahu's advisers received money from Qatar during wartime, "the gravest betrayal in the history of the State of Israel." He demanded that Qatar be declared an enemy state and that all contact with it be legally required to be disclosed. Bennett unveiled an economic plan he formulated with a team of experts, including MK Vladimir Beliak, former Finance Ministry director-general Keren Turner, former Communications Ministry director-general Liran Avishar Ben-Horin and Meirav Cohen, to close some 50 indirect funding channels for draft evasion. He attacked Ofer Winter's outline for a partial exemption of 25% and Deri's attempts to buy time through committees. Bennett called on the center-right bloc to stop internal cannibalization, and made clear he is ready to be a wheel in a government headed by Gadi Eisenkot or Avigdor Lieberman. He ruled out cooperation with Winter, whom he defined as "Bibi," and attacked Likud's slogan "Netanyahu does not capitulate" while presenting events he claims prove the opposite, including capitulation to Biden on the Palestinian consulate and folding to Sinwar in the 2021 Flag March. The interview was held as part of "Bamat Israel," a Walla, Maariv and Jerusalem Post conference, to be broadcast on October 15.