I support Naftali Bennett not because I think he’s perfect, but because I believe he consistently models, and therefore incentivizes, the kind of political leadership Israel needs more of: unity over tribalism, substance over outrage, and problem-solving over point-scoring. 

It’s May 2022, the final weeks before Naftali Bennett is forced to call new elections and end his term as Prime Minister. I’m in the Knesset, one of about 30 Yamina party activists meeting with the Prime Minister. He’s talking to us about where we stand from his perspective. He’s not trying to sell us on anything or pitch for our votes; we already all support him. He’s comfortable speaking openly.

He tells us that he’s regularly briefed on the threats Israel faces from its enemies and he’s confident that we can defeat them. What concerns him most is the challenges from within. 

He points out that this is the third time in history that the Jewish people have been sovereign in our land. In both previous periods of Jewish sovereignty, internal division ultimately proved catastrophic. Bennett often notes that both commonwealths experienced their defining internal fractures around their eighth decade. National unity, he insists, isn’t just a warm sentiment. It’s an existential priority. Without it, everything falls. This is the main reason why Naftali Bennett is the leader Israel needs today. 

A Longstanding Conviction

Bennett stands out among Israeli politicians for his focus on rebuilding national cohesion.

Even at the start of his political career, as the head of the most right-wing party in the Knesset, he insisted that profound disagreements with the left did not make those on the left any less patriotic, nor those on the right any less committed to peace. Political opponents, in his view, were still members of the same national family.

This message has carried through all the way to his current campaign. Even during intense debates with haredim against serving in the army or with supporters of Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bennett routinely reinforces a simple baseline: we are one people. We will argue, sometimes fiercely, but we are all in this together. 

Politics Without Enemies

Bennett’s commitment to national cohesion isn’t just something he talks about. It shapes the way he practices politics. 

Modern political strategy rewards the opposite approach.........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)