Forty opposition MKs signed a petition requiring Bennett to come to the Knesset plenum and listen to their complaints and address them.
Bennett defiantly challenged Netanyahu, Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich and his other critics, calling them “the new sourpusses,” using a word Netanyahu himself called his opposition.
“We are succeeding in fixing what you abandoned,” Bennett said. “You became sourpusses so fast that even when you see good things, you cannot give compliments.”
Bennett accused Netanyahu and former transportation minister Miri Regev of allowing coronavirus mutations to enter the country through Ben-Gurion Airport. Bennett said Netanyahu had left a gap in acquiring vaccines that he fixed by speaking to the head of Pfizer, but without calling a press conference to brag about it.
“If I was Member of Knesset Bibi Netanyahu, I would have called an urgent press conference at 8:03 p.m. [TV news time] to praise myself and say that only I could do it and that I am the greatest since Herzl and that my ministers are midgets whose credit I will take away,” Bennett said mockingly.
After a gaffe last week in which he called Netanyahu the prime minister, Bennett repeatedly called him “Member of Knesset Bibi Netanyahu” in his speech. When Netanyahu came up to the podium to speak after him, he referred to his successor as “Bennett” until Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy scolded him for disrespecting the prime minister.
In a scathing criticism of Bennett, Netanyahu said that in the month since he took over, the number of Israelis diagnosed with the virus daily has gone up from five to 500. He said masks have gone back on and COVID-19 wards are reopening.
“How did you succeed in destroying so much in such a short time in the struggle against corona?” Netanyahu asked Bennett.
Netanyahu accused Bennett of blunders in handling Ben-Gurion Airport and vaccines.
“Instead of blocking the Indian (Delta) variant, you took a selfie with it at the airport,” Netanyahu said to Bennett.
The two rival leaders also slammed each other’s handling of the Iranian nuclear threat.
“There has never been anyone in Israel’s history who spoke so much and did so little about Iran,” Bennett said.
Netanyahu responded that “those that know the truth about what we have done about Iran want our government to replace your government.”
Bennett also sparred with Smotrich, who accused him of turning his back on the nationalist camp. He complained that Smotrich would not look him in the eye.MK BEZALEL SMOTRICH speaks during a Knesset plenary session on August 24. (photo credit: OREN BEN HAKOON/FLASH90)
Calling Smotrich “the architect of the government,” Bennett said he wanted to give him credit for “climbing up a tall tree” and preventing the formation of a government under Netanyahu.
MK Shirley Pinto, of the Yamina, delivered her maiden speech in sign language in the Knesset on Monday. It was the first time ever that an MK has delivered a speech in sign language in the Knesset.
Pinto is also the first deaf MK in the history of the Knesset. MKs applauded her speech in sign language at the conclusion of the address.
