Bennett: 'Netanyahu Isn't an Evil Man, But He Must Go; He's Nearing 80, I Don't Want to See Him in Prison'

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu must step down from office due to his responsibility for the October 7 massacre, while stating he does not wish to see his longtime political rival face imprisonment. Bennett also committed that his party will not join a Netanyahu-led government following the next election.

In remarks to Kikar HaShabbos, Bennett outlined his position that Netanyahu's political career should end in light of failures related to the October 7 attack, while adopting a notably lenient stance on Netanyahu's criminal proceedings.

When pressed on whether he would pledge his party would not partner with Netanyahu post-election, Bennett reflected on his previous tenure as prime minister. "First of all, what I did after the last election, when I became prime minister, was, in my view, saving the State of Israel from three years of chaos: without a budget, with a massive deficit, with people being murdered right and left. We pulled the State of Israel out of that pit."

Bennett contended that Netanyahu should leave office because of October 7. "I'm saying this as clearly as possible: Netanyahu must go home. Not because he's a bad person - I'm not grading his character - but because he bears ultimate responsibility for the October 7 massacre. He refuses to take responsibility for it to this very day, and that is simply unacceptable. He is leading a government that is tearing the State of Israel apart. So I'm not attacking him personally. I'm saying: enough. Thirty years. He's a Jew who is already nearing 80 years old. That's okay. The Jewish people will survive without him."

Asked about Netanyahu's criminal trial and potential pardon, Bennett was direct: "I absolutely do not want to see Binyomin Netanyahu wearing an orange prison uniform and going to jail. For so many Israelis, he has long been more than just a prime minister - he's a symbol. He's a symbol, and Heaven forbid we crush them. I have nothing against him. I don't want to see him in prison. Let him go home, live his life, do whatever he wants, and that's perfectly fine with me."