Who is Israeli politician Naftali Bennett?

With the likely rise of Israeli politician Naftali Bennett to the position of Prime Minister, I was asked to comment by global broadcaster TRT World:

“Netanyahu’s likely replacement, Bennett, will not help to improve Israel’s image. He’s a right-wing, pro-settler ideologue who believes in Jewish supremacy and the denial of equal rights for Palestinians,” says Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist and author, who was based in East Jerusalem from 2016 to 2020.

“Bennett will continue Israel’s right-wing drift towards an even more militarised and racist nation-state,” Loewenstein tells TRT World. 

“Many prominent Democrats in the US have expressed disdain or contempt for Netanyahu and will be happy when he’s gone from office. However at this stage, there’s no evidence that anybody in Washington pressured Netanyahu’s rivals to form a working coalition and unseat him,” says Loewenstein.

“Netanyahu’s corruption trial and other controversies, including his love affair with former US President Donald Trump, have deeply unsettled many supporters of Israel in the West, worried that the Jewish state’s image is being tarnished,” he adds.

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

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