Former PM Naftali Bennett fires back at the so-called “Bennett Law,” accusing the Likud of political sabotage to block his comeback and divide Israel’s right.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has ignited a political firestorm after the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a controversial new bill that would bar politicians with unpaid campaign debts from running for the Knesset. The measure, already dubbed the “Bennett Law”, is widely seen as a targeted attempt to prevent Bennett’s return to national politics.
Bennett struck back with a fiery post on social media, accusing his rivals of orchestrating a smear campaign to silence him.
“Take a rule of thumb: the harder the poison machine works against me, the more they understand that change is coming,” Bennett wrote.
He blasted what he called the “latest fake news operation,” claiming it revolved around fabricated stories of unpaid “party debts.” The former Prime Minister highlighted the hypocrisy at the heart of the move, pointing out that the Likud party itself carries Israel’s largest political debt — a staggering 56 million NIS.
“It’s hard to take the Likud’s sudden concern for public funds seriously,” he quipped.
Bennett clarified that the Habayit Hayehudi party’s debt of over 17 million NIS dated back to 2011 — years before his leadership — and that he had managed the finances transparently. Regarding his later faction, Yamina, he explained that after stepping down from politics, he transferred full control of the party and its obligations to Ayelet Shaked, noting firmly:
“I am not in any debt to any party.”
In a direct challenge to the ruling party, Bennett accused Likud of attempting to “win through legislation rather than democracy.”
“Instead of facing me in free elections, the Likud is trying to block my candidacy. If they thought they could win, they wouldn’t need this personal, retroactive law,” he charged.
Bennett ended his post with a defiant pledge to return to the political battlefield, vowing to “unite the people and restore Israel’s strength” despite the establishment’s efforts to sideline him.
The controversy underscores growing tension within Israel’s right-wing bloc — and signals that Bennett’s political resurrection may be closer than his rivals hope.
