The chairman of the right-wing party, MK Naftali Bennett, responded tonight (Wednesday) to the claims of the ‘Religious Zionist Party’ and spoke sharply about his former partner, MK Bezalel Smutrich.
“Smutrich has split and I wish him well. If there is a competition of being even more extreme, divisive and provocative – I’m not into that,” Bennett said.
According to him, the separation from Smutrich is in line for publics who have so far had difficulty because of joining the party. “There is a very big change – the right today is officially open to all the people of Israel. Many people who until today felt that they could not join the right because of extremism and disrespect of various people in Israeli society, can feel that we are the home of all the people of Israel.”
When asked why he and Smutrich broke up he replied, “It’s because of two things: endless extremism and provocations.”
“One of the reasons for the separation is endless extremism and provocations. I am attacked for being interviewed on a program broadcast on Saturday. This is my way, and for 10 years I have been interviewed on programs broadcast on Saturday. I am married to a woman from a non-religious home and I do not identify as a sector. We are one people,” Bennett said.
The Religious Zionist Party responded: “The abduction came out of the bag. Despite Bennett’s attempts to pass the blame for the split on Smutrich, he today really admitted that he threw Smutrich and religious Zionism out of his desire to look good to the secularists in the center and left. All the values of the right and religious Zionism on the side. “
“We see that Naftali decided to throw mud in sectoral wars, this is not our way. We will not drag her or drag the public who want positive campaigns to her. We will speak of our values proudly and try to represent religious Zionism and the entire people of Israel. And we call on Bennett to stop this conduct, “the party responded.