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JERUSALEM — Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has invoked Winston Churchill in a blistering attack on Benjamin Netanyahu, likening the prime minister’s policy of allowing Qatari cash transfers to Hamas to “feeding the Nazis” before World War II.
In an interview, Bennett walked a careful line, saying he did not want to “attack Netanyahu personally,” then proceeded to deliver one of the most devastating critiques of any Israeli premier by a former head of government.
“I don’t want to attack Netanyahu. I will just say that Winston Churchill did not feed the Nazis with $360 million a year during the 30s. You know, you’re talking about the payments that he authorized from Qatar to Hamas.” — Naftali Bennett, Former Prime Minister of Israel
The “360 million” figure refers to the estimated total annual cash flow from Qatar to Gaza, much of which Bennett alleges ended up in the hands of Hamas. He has claimed that during his time in office, he discovered that $30 million a month — $360 million a year — was being transferred in physical suitcases through Israeli-controlled crossings, ostensibly for humanitarian purposes but ultimately diverted to build Hamas’s military infrastructure .
🔗 Connecting Churchill to the ‘Cash-for-Quiet’ Policy
Bennett’s reference to Churchill is carefully chosen. The British prime minister warned repeatedly about Nazi rearmament in the 1930s, but Parliament did not act, and the UK pursued a policy of appeasement . Churchill was not prime minister until 1940, after the war had begun.
Bennett’s comparison argues that Netanyahu’s “cash for calm” approach was the moral equivalent of appeasement. The money that Netanyahu allowed into Gaza, Bennett claims, funded the very rocket and tunnel infrastructure Hamas used to launch the October 7, 2023, attack .
💰 ‘He Owns the Failure’
Bennett does not deny that the security establishment supported the policy. But he argues that the prime minister is ultimately responsible.
“The security officials gave their honest assessment. But the person who authorized the policy—the person who could have said ‘no’—was the prime minister.”
— Naftali Bennett
The attack is aimed at Netanyahu’s reputation as “Mr. Security.” By invoking Churchill, Bennett is arguing that Netanyahu will be remembered as a leader who, like Neville Chamberlain, appeased an enemy—with catastrophic consequences .
⏳ Publication of His Memoir and the Elections
The accusation is the centerpiece of Bennett’s new memoir, “The Bennett Doctrine,” which also details his disagreements with Netanyahu over the Ukraine war, the judicial overhaul, and security policy in the West Bank .
The book’s release comes as Bennett, who has formed a new political alliance with Yair Lapid called “Together” (Yachad), campaigns for the October 27, 2026, Knesset elections. By connecting Netanyahu directly to the ‘360 million’ figure, Bennett hopes to peel away right-wing voters who are angry about the October 7 failures .
🗣️ Netanyahu’s Response
Netanyahu’s office issued a sharp rebuttal: “Bennett, who served as prime minister for five minutes, is now rewriting history to sell books. The security policy toward Gaza was approved by the cabinet, the IDF, and the Shin Bet. Bennett was part of that cabinet and never uttered a word of protest.”
The response attempts to shift blame back onto Bennett, noting that he was a member of the security cabinet that approved the Qatar policy. However, Bennett claims that he only learned of the policy’s scope after becoming prime minister and immediately ordered the cash payments to stop—though the order was later reversed after he left office under the subsequent Netanyahu government.
Whether the “Churchill” comparison will resonate with voters will be tested in the October elections. But Bennett has ensured that for the rest of the campaign, whenever Netanyahu speaks about security, the “360 million” figure will be raised .
📋 Key Takeaways
| Aspect | Summary |
|---|---|
| Bennett’s Quote | “Winston Churchill did not feed the Nazis with $360 million a year during the 30s” |
| Allegation | Netanyahu authorized payments from Qatar to Hamas (cash-for-quiet policy) |
| The Sum | ~$30 million/month = $360 million/year |
| October 7 Connection | Bennett says the money funded the rocket and tunnel infrastructure Hamas used in the attack |
| Political Motivation | Campaign for the October 2026 Knesset elections (Bennett-Lapid ‘Together’ alliance) |
| Netanyahu’s Response | “Bennett was in the cabinet and never objected. He’s rewriting history to sell books.” |
Follow Reflecto News for continuous updates on the 2026 Knesset elections, the Bennett-Lapid campaign, and all breaking news from Israel and the Middle East.
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