Israeli opposition figures blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, leveling accusations that the latter wants the Shin Bet security agency as a “personal security organization” and that he “is doing anything to stay in power.”
Speaking at a Yedioth Aharonoth convention, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid commented on recordings of the head of the Shin Bet’s Jewish Division in which he claimed that Netanyahu asked him to disqualify ex-PM Naftali Bennett from serving in the security cabinet.
Netanyahu “wants the Shin Bet a personal security organization instead of an organization that prevents terrorism and saves lives,” Lapid said, as quoted by The Times of Israel.
For his part, Opposition National Unity party chair Benny Gantz said that Netanyahu has “lost all restraints that are possible to think of.”
“The prime Minister doing anything to stay in government. The delegitimization of the law enforcement system is intended to vindicate himself. He should take responsibility,” Gantz said, also at a Yedioth Aharonoth convention.
“The Israeli public from the left to the right won’t allow a ruler of this sort to stay in power at the next elections,” he added.
Bennett: Netanyahu “Wanted to Eliminate Me”
On the other hand, Bennett said that Netanyahu wanted to “eliminate me,” after former Shin Bet chief Yoram Cohen claimed in a radio interview the premier asked him to remove Bennett from cabinet during his time running the security service.
Netanyahu asked former security chief to block ex-PM Bennett from security cabinet
Yoram Cohen stated told Army Radio Netanyahu alleged Bennett had ‘loyalty’ issues
Opposition leader Lapid dubbed the revelation ‘an earthquake’ pic.twitter.com/1vN662swRb
— RT (@RT_com) April 7, 2025
According to Cohen, Netanyahu cited Bennett’s apparent removal from his officer’s position in the military as cause to disqualify him from the cabinet — a request the then-Shin Bet chief said he refused.
In the comments cited by Hebrew media, Bennett denied that he was removed from his officer’s position.
“In 2014, as a member of the cabinet, I demanded that Netanyahu act offensively against Hamas in Gaza. Yoram Cohen revealed today Netanyahu’s lies and his paranoia about me,” Bennett is quoted as saying.
“I wanted to eliminate Hamas, Netanyahu wanted to eliminate me,” he added.
Source: Israeli media
