Skip to main content

Bennett calls diplomatic process harmful to Israeli economy

Israeli business leaders have called on the prime minister to end the conflict with the Palestinians so Israel can prosper, while Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett claims that this will destroy the Israeli economy.
Israel's President Shimon Peres (R) meets head of the Bayit Yehudi party Naftali Bennett at Peres' residence in Jerusalem January 31, 2013. Peres began talks with political parties on Wednesday over who should form a new government and appears certain to ask incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assemble it. REUTERS/Sebastian Scheiner/Pool (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR3D6TK
Read in 

At the height of Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett’s horror show at the Jan. 20 meeting of the HaBayit HaYehudi Knesset faction, Bennett histrionically approached a map of Israel that had been prepared in advance and pointed to the Judea-Samaria region. Several minutes earlier he had declared that the establishment of a Palestinian state would crush the Israeli economy and by way of explaining this sweeping conclusion, he asked the attendees to imagine the following scenario.

“For one moment,” he said, “consider how the Israeli economy would look if, God forbid, a Palestinian state arises. Every day, ‘only’ one missile falls on Shenkar Street in [high-tech industrial area] Herzliya Pituach. Ask yourselves how the Israeli economy would look if ‘only’ one plane a year is downed when preparing to land in Ben-Gurion Airport. It would shatter the Israeli economy.”

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.