Former PM Bennett: Israel is 'losing the Republican Party' and everyday Americans due to poor government messaging

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned on Tuesday that Israel is losing support within the Republican Party and America in general, and blamed this trend on poor messaging from officials within Netanyahu’s government.

“The Democratic party hasn’t been with us for some time,” he said. “We’re also losing the Republican party, whose support for Israel could once be counted on.”

“Even those who have been our friends are having a hard time defending the State of Israel,” Bennett wrote, adding that many Americans are increasingly seeing Israel “as a liability and burden.”

Bennett comments about Republicans appeared to be in reference to a small but vocal minority of voices in American conservatism who are critical of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Iran, such as Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

While approval of Israel’s actions in Gaza among Americans has decreased overall, most Republicans approve Israel’s handling of the war.

According to a Gallup poll published in July, a record low of just 32% of Americans say they approve of Israel’s operations in Gaza.

The poll indicated, however, that Republican support for Israel’s actions has actually risen since September, going from 66% to 71%.

Support has dropped among Democrats and independents, with 25% approval among independents and 8% approval among Democrats.

Bennett blamed several Israeli politicians by name, arguing they “cause us unimaginable damage with devastating quotes that will haunt our soldiers in passport lines in countries around the world.”

As the Times of Israel reported, Bennett named “Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in addition to Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu and MK Nissim Vaturi, who have all drawn backlash for their statements about the war.”

Eliyahu said last month that “the government is racing ahead for Gaza to be wiped out,” and that “all Gaza will be Jewish.”

Smotrich said in May that “Gaza will be totally destroyed,” arguing that they will seek to leave Gaza since “they will be totally despairing, understanding that there is no hope and nothing to look for in Gaza.”

Vaturi, a member of the Likud party, said in January of last year that he believes that the vast majority of those left in northern Gaza should be “wiped out.”

“We can’t be gentle souls and say ‘Oh, there are innocents there,’” he said.

“There’s 100,000 left? Who’s left? If there are innocents there we know about them. But those left there need to be wiped out, period.”

Vaturi also made inflammatory comments in a February interview on Kol BaRama radio.

“Who is innocent in Gaza? Civilians went out and slaughtered people in cold blood,” he said. “Adult men, from my perspective…there are no innocents there among the adult men.”

“You are saying to kill all the adult men in Gaza?” the interviewer asked.

“To kill all who are there as adult men, we will move the children and the women,” Vaturi responded.

Bennett, who intends to run for prime minister in Israel’s elections next year, said such rhetoric is harmful to Israelis, as it gives fodder to critics of Israel.

“Do you really think that what you say in interviews in Israel isn’t being heard abroad?!” wrote Bennett. “Don’t you care that you will lead to the prosecution of our soldiers?”