Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, now head of the Yachad party, appeared Tuesday evening at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv and delivered sharp criticism of the government's handling of the draft issue, accusing Prime Minister Netanyahu of "dismantling the IDF."
"Netanyahu warns of security dangers, but he himself is leading the most serious danger: mass evasion that will bring about the collapse of the IDF," Bennett said.
Bennett framed his remarks as a strategic warning. "I am issuing a strategic security alert here today. Everyone is busy with warnings that Netanyahu ignored before October 7th, but this warning about the next disaster, no one will be able to say they didn't know. The IDF is facing collapse. The Chief of Staff is waving ten red flags that he's short 20,000 combat soldiers, but Netanyahu ignores it and is dismantling the IDF."
The former prime minister said he has been speaking directly with officers and soldiers in the field. "I go down to the ground, speak with officers and fighters, and they report that the shortage of combat soldiers is already costing us soldiers' lives right now," Bennett claimed. "They tell me that soldiers are being wounded and killed by drones because there aren't enough lookouts and snipers to protect them. The long rotations wear down the operational alertness of the soldiers, and that too costs us casualties. And during combat, they're forced to abandon positions they've already captured because there's no one to hold the ground, and then they have to recapture them at the cost of blood."
"There are a million and a half chareidim in Israel today. Facing a government of 'we'll die and not enlist,' our soldiers are saying: 'We'll die if you don't enlist.' We need reinforcements!" the former PM added.
"I am warning today that if we don't draft chareidim in the coming term, the IDF will simply collapse. Netanyahu and Deri are promising to continue on exactly the same path in the next government, and therefore a vote for the evasion coalition is a direct vote against IDF soldiers and against those who serve. We will draft everyone, stop the money to evaders, and strengthen the IDF. That's what the elections are about," he concluded.
