Israel’s defense minister and head of the New Right party, Naftali Bennett, spoke to a Yeshiva (male seminary) in northern Israel on Wednesday criticizing a political rival who Bennett claims doesn’t treat Israel’s state institutions as playing an integral role in the Redemption process.
Bennett then lamented what he sees as a current attitude of lawlessness in Israel saying that the reason that the Second Temple was destroyed was because everyone “followed their own rules.”
“We need to understand the big picture” Bennett said adding “today we are in (the era of) the Third Temple.”
Bennett then reminded the captive audience about the history of the Kingdom of Israel saying “we have had a state twice where we ruled as a united people. The first time it only lasted 80 years – King David 40, then King Solomon 40. After that, we separated.”
“The second time, we were sovereign for only 74 years during the Hasmonean dynasty” he added.
Bennett then touching on the present saying “Now we are at 72 years. The Jewish nation has never been able to maintain a united rule for more than 80 years.”
The Defense Minister concluded saying that he will not let “anyone tear apart the state of Israel.”
The video of the speech (in Hebrew) is below:
