According to a report by The Times of Israel on Monday, May 18, 2026, former prime minister Naftali Bennett has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of failing to address emerging battlefield threats and of undermining Israeli troops through its stance on ultra-Orthodox conscription exemptions.
In a video message recorded from Israel’s northern border, Bennett said the country had been at war for nearly 1,000 days and criticised what he described as the government’s delayed response to the threat posed by explosive drones used by Hezbollah against IDF forces in southern Lebanon.
Bennett stated that soldiers operating along the northern front were still being exposed to drone attacks while, in his words, the government had failed to implement adequate countermeasures.
He claimed that troops were being forced to rely on improvised protective solutions, saying that nets were being distributed to soldiers because of what he described as governmental inaction.
He further argued that while IDF units were engaged in operations against Hezbollah in the north, the government was simultaneously weakening the military by advancing legislation on draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
Bennett described the draft exemption initiative as a “despicable draft-dodging law” and said it reduced the army’s ability to secure sufficient manpower for its operational needs.
Bennett also said that such policies amounted to “stabbing troops in the back,” linking the conscription debate directly to operational readiness on the battlefield. He added that a change in leadership would be required to address what he characterised as systemic failures in security policy.
His comments come amid ongoing reports of near-daily Hezbollah drone activity targeting IDF positions in southern Lebanon, a development that has added pressure on Israel’s northern defence strategy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the drone threat during a cabinet meeting earlier this week, stating that he had warned about the issue several years ago.
However, he did not directly respond to questions regarding why a comprehensive countermeasure system had not yet been implemented during his time in office since those warnings were issued…….See More
Leave a Reply