Naftali Bennett entered his position as minister of defense during the uproar over the killing of Islamic Jihad leader Baha Abu al-Ata and the launch of Operation Black Belt Nov. 12. As a result, he asked that there not be any military ceremony to mark the occasion, as is customary. As Bennett himself explained, he wanted “to get right down to business, dealing with the important challenges.” On the other hand, it looked more like he was afraid that anything he said on such an occasion could be used against him if he failed at his job.
Bennett arrived at the Ministry of Defense intending to rehabilitate his political status after a particularly difficult year. In the first election of 2019 in April, his party failed to pass the electoral threshold, while in the second election in September he was only placed fourth on the Yamina party’s Knesset list. He began his first meeting with the General Staff by reciting the prayer for the State of Israel: “Our Father in Heaven, Rock and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption. Shield it with Your lovingkindness, envelop it in Your peace, and bestow Your light and truth upon its leaders, ministers, and advisors, and grace them with Your good counsel. …” Then he paused and added a few words of his own: “Now more than ever.”
