Former Israeli Prime Minister Speaks at Hillel Event
Neftali Bennett appeared at The Temple on Nov. 18.
Naftali Bennett, the former Prime Minister of Israel, got a warm welcome from the more than 850 students and supporters of Hillel who filled the sanctuary of The Temple on Nov. 18. Among the attendees were more than a half-dozen college presidents from around the state.
He was introduced by The Temple’s Senior Rabbi, Peter Berg, and the CEO of Hillels of Georgia, Rabbi Larry Sernovitz. Bennett, whose appearance before the large gathering was underwritten by an anonymous donation, took the extraordinary step of making his remarks off the record.
The audience was forbidden to record what he said or photograph the former Israeli government leader. Nor could they share with others what he discussed that evening. The decision meant that The Temple, which features a robust video production capability, was unable to stream his remarks to the nearly 11,000 Hillel members around the state.
Shortly before coming to Atlanta, he spoke in an on-the-record appearance at a conference at the Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, Calif. He reportedly called the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel “a colossal, epic failure of the State of Israel” and hinted he may return to politics.
Bennett was a wealthy technology entrepreneur before entering politics. He served for a year as Prime Minister in a coalition government from 2021-22. The coalition, which ousted Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 years in office, included for the first time members of Israel’s Arab minority. Netanyahu reclaimed the office in elections two years ago.
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