In an interview with Israel Hayom, Chairman of the Jewish Home Party Naftali Bennett says he does not take back what he said of IDF soldiers fearing the Military Advocate General more than Hamas. November 19th, Bennett put out a statement on staying in the coalition. In that statement he said, "Our soldiers are more afraid of prosecutors than of Yahya Sinwar," referring to the Hamas chief. The minister got a lot of backlash from the prime minister, attorney general and the chief of staff. Despite the criticism, Bennett emphasized in the interview that a "surplus of legalization is costing lives. "It's important for me to say that we have a very serious problem in the defense establishment, which leads to the hands of our fighters becoming increasingly shackled by legal chains," "I am a member of the cabinet, one of it's veteran members," Bennett said. "I will say something that is difficult [to hear], but it is true: If we had demolished the terrorists' houses from the air in Saja'iya before the Golani Brigade ground offensive and not after it, we would have saved the lives of the soldiers who would otherwise be walking among us still," he added on a military operation. "I unequivocally state that the fear of international law and the Hague is an exaggerated fear that imposes unnecessary barrier on our soldiers." In a video interview, Dr. Martin Sherman speaks of what Bennett bases his statement on soldiers' fear of judiciary punishment for military actions.
