Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was aware that his speech to mark Israel’s Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism would be interrupted by the families of the fallen who oppose his government. He prepared for the moment when millions of Israelis would be immersed in the sanctity of the event and decided to respond with silence. He would allow their protest to take place. For several minutes, he was subjected to a barrage of insults: “Liar!” “You’re a disgrace!” and “Shut your mouth!” He stood there stoically, enduring the onslaught without saying a word.
Bennett certainly saw the sign waved by Meirav Hajaj, mother of Shir Hajaj, who was killed in 2017 in a vehicular assault in Jerusalem’s Armon HaNetziv neighborhood. It read: “Bennett! Anyone who forms a government with supporters of terrorism isn’t wanted here!”
