Naftali Bennett

Naftali Bennett is an Israeli politician and the country’s 13th prime minister.


The son of American immigrants, Bennett grew up in Haifa. He and his wife Gilat live in Ra’anana with their four children.


After his IDF service in the Maglan Commando Brigade and the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, Bennett ventured into software entrepreneurship, heading various companies that sold out for over $100 million. 


He surfaced on the scene of Israeli politics in 2006 as chief of staff for Benjamin Netanyahu. 


After leading both the Jewish Home and Yamina parties and serving in various ministerial positions, Bennett was sworn in on June 13, 2021 as Israel's 13th prime minister in a rotation government with Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid. 


Under the rotation government, Bennett would serve as prime minister until 2023, and Lapid would assume the role until 2025. 

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42% of Israelis believe Bennett handled Gaza better than Netanyahu - poll

56% of voters for the current coalition said they believe the government is not functioning well in terms of defense issues.

Israeli government's biggest challenge is saving face, former PM Bennett says

While conceding that some degree of reform is needed, Bennett said that “it has to be moderate and incremental.”

Will former prime minister Naftali Bennett make political comeback?

On a visit to Washington, DC, this week, Bennett spoke at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

By RON KAMPEAS/JTA
21/04/2023

Naftali Bennett reviews Netanyahu's first 100 days in office

Bennett included a video in his tweet which, he said, shows "what the Bennett government accomplished in its first 100 days. Things could be different."

Yoav Gallant

Netanyahu fires Gallant, says he 'lost trust' in defense minister

In his first response since his dismissal, Gallant wrote that the "security of the State of Israel has always been and will always be my life's mission."

26/03/2023

The Palestinian war against Israel isn't a reaction to Netanyahu gov't -opinion

Anti-Israel terror wasn’t born yesterday, it began with the four-day pogrom in and around Jerusalem in April 1920.

By STEPHEN M. FLATOW
03/03/2023

Why did Israel, Netanyahu knowingly neglect West Bank security in 2017?

The border was just too long and not enough Israelis had been killed by West Bank border terrorism – until March 2022.

Israel's only way forward is unity gov't - Bennett says in Australia

The former prime minister says he supports Israeli judicial reforms, but said the current government has gone "too far."

28/02/2023

Bennett slams Netanyahu for 'egregious lie' as Arab sector plan included in budget

Bennett admitted he had to "debunk this lie once and for all" after the former government's Arab sector plan was included in the new state budget.

26/02/2023

Grapevine February 15, 2023: He'll be 64

Movers and shakers in Israeli society.

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