With only a month remaining until the Sept. 17 general election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political rivals attacked him on Sunday for his response to Hamas attacks over the weekend, which included two rocket attacks and an infiltration attempt.
Former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, wrote on Facebook that Netanyahu “is an excellent presenter and campaigner, but a weak leader that lacks leadership and the ability to make decisions in real moments of crisis.”
Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz, former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said during a visit to Gaza border towns on Sunday morning that Israel’s “deterrence hasn’t been eroded, it’s been erased,” according to Ynet.
“We will defeat Hamas militarily, we’ll bring quiet to the residents of the south, and will not allow this to spill over into the West Bank,” said Gantz.
Fellow Blue and White candidate Gabi Ashkenazi, another former IDF chief of staff, said, “The prime minister is weak, only preoccupied with himself and just wants quiet ahead of the elections.”
Former Education Minister Naftali Bennet of the right-wing Yamin bloc said during a visit to the scene of the vehicular assault in Gush Etzion on Friday that “we need to move on to a policy of persistent attacks, chasing after the terror leaders,” according to Ynet. “They have to start fearing for their lives.”
