Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu commented on the address given by Education Minister Naftali Bennett this week before the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv in which he accused the government and security establishment of being locked in their thought process, unable to adopting new methods required to remain abreast of Israel’s enemies.

Mr. Netanyahu, who over recent weeks remained silent in response to a number of criticism from Bennett this time fired back, calling him “irresponsible and childish”.

In his address Bennett told his audience that he does not sleep nights during the past years for he feels the biggest threat facing Israel is not Hamas, rockets, Hizbullah or even Iran, but the inability of the decision-makers to modify their thought process.

In addition to being scorned by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon in his address to the same forum explained that one does not lead the military or decide policy by using slogans, and national responsibility must precede a desire to score headlines and seek Facebook ‘likes’.

Opposition leader MK Yitzchak Herzog called on Bennett to resign and force early elections.

The relationship between Bennett and the Prime Minister has been strained at best, even in the previous Knesset and this incident is just more of the same – the occasional flare-up between the two. Some opine that Bennett is keenly aware the two-seat majority coalition provides an opportunity to air his grievances as PM Netanyahu has to tolerate him or move to early elections.

Other analysts explain that Bennett is aware that he has fallen out of favor among the hardcore right-wing and this was an opportunity to display his displeasure with current policy in the hope of earning additional support for his Bayit Yehudi party. During the months of the ongoing Palestinian terror attacks that began on erev Rosh Hashanah 5776, Bennett has been conspicuously silent, leading to much criticism against the dati leumi party’s role in what some perceive to be government nonfeasance to the ongoing terror.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)