Naftali Bennett: Israel’s status in US ‘has never been so bad,’ it’s becoming a ‘leper state’

Bennett, a former right-wing ally of Netanyahu, broke with him in 2021 and briefly unseated him, serving as prime minister for about a year. Ahead of elections scheduled for next year, he has registered a political party under the name Bennett 2026, and polls show that it would compete with Netanyahu’s Likud to be the largest in the Knesset.

Can Bennett become Prime Minister again? 2026 we shall see!

(Note: post is from August 2025 but he hasn’t changed his tune.)

The question is: would a different Prime Minister shift the tide with regard to American sentiments towards Israel? (Conservative Americans who are on the fence.)

Ehh, BS. Yes libs have turned fascist and will do all they can now to destroy Jews. But repubs (conservatives) are strongly in support of Israel’s right to exist and support them tremendously through volunteering and charitable organizations. BUT we are sick and tired of throwing other countries billions of our tax dollars as our nation nears complete bankruptcy. And that includes to Israel, which is a termendously rich nation. What gets me most of all is Glen Beck, Hannity doing personal adds for the “starving desperate jews in Israel - please send them money now”. What a bunch of crock. They can more than take care of their own.

Thanks Battlestar for your balanced perspective. But I also think the PR on Netanyahu’s part has been irreparably tarnished and a new face of Israel could shift things…And I don’t see Naftali Bennett as a raging leftist.

You’re right though, as JD Vance said, there are disagreements with regard to US Mideast policy, and criticism of “Neocon” habits in general - doesn’t mean conservatives view Israel as an enemy. Still an ally.

In August 2025, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned that Israel’s status in the U.S. had “never been so bad” and that it was increasingly being seen as a “leper state” due to its government’s actions and public relations challenges, particularly regarding the war in Gaza.

Key points regarding the perception and official standing:

The U.S. government still provides billions of tax dollars
in annual aid much to the annoyance of the US population.

The characterization of Israel as a “leper state” is a political assessment made by domestic critics and some political figures, such as former PM Bennett, reflecting a growing concern over waning support, even among traditional allies.

Polls have shown decreasing support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza among the general American public and across the political spectrum.

The term “leper state” or “pariah state” is a descriptive term used in opinion pieces and political commentary to highlight Israel’s worsening international position, particularly in the context of the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for its leaders and a case at the International Court of Justice.

Political dialogue and public opinion indicate a decline
in Israel’s standing and an increase in harsh criticism.

It’s a Godsend , literally, that Israel hasn’t even had to choose its enemies. With Tucker Carlson’s guppy faced interview with NF, now he’s claiming that radical Islam hasn’t killed any Americans for 24 years, Somalians’ arrogance is putting the bold face paint of a whore on Islam, Israel couldn’t have constructed a more perfect foil.

Personalities are not the defining feature of Israel's predicament. Having lost the affections of the Left and the US Democratic Party, Israel now looks for help from American conservatives and Christians whom American Jews broadly disdain. This yields an improbable and unstable political dynamic in which American conservatives and Christians are expected to be strongly supportive of Israel while being bitterly hated by a large and commanding contingent of American Jews.

Is this guy on drugs? Has he been to Venezuela recently - where all the drugs are?

It is guaranteed that Mr. Bennett is well aware of two very important things regarding Israel and the United States.

In 2008, the 110th Congress passed H.R. 7177 (110th): PUBLIC LAW 110–429—OCT. 15, 2008 - Naval Vessel Transfer Act of 2008.

Buried in this legislation, passed during the economic and political upheaval of the global financial crisis, when eyes were turned elsewhere, was something called QME, Israel's Qualitative Military Edge.

This act enshrined in U.S. law United States military support for Israel, taking most of it out of the hands of future legislatures, and effectively out of the reach of the American people. You know, that democracy thing we all talk about.

https://www.congress.gov/110/plaws/publ429/PLAW-110publ429.pdf

The second thing he knows about is the likelihood that there are dual U.S.-Israeli citizens in our government. Any high official, not just in Israel, but in any country, is aware of the fact that there are U.S.-Israeli dual citizens in Congress.

https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2018/12/10/dual-citizens-in-congress-we-need-to-know/

Dual Citizens in Congress? We Need to Know

By L. Michael Hager | Dec 10, 2018

Are there any members of Congress who are dual citizens of the U.S. and another country? Possibly. In 2014, Senator Ted Cruz and then Representative Michelle Bachman attracted wide press coverage when they renounced their Canadian and Swiss nationalities respectively. Yet there is nothing in the public record that discloses the foreign citizenship of House and Senate members. Nor is there any legal requirement for members to make such a disclosure.

It seems that even the question of who is or may be a dual citizen presses a red button. Some years back I telephoned the DC office of one of my senators for help in identifying Members of Congress who hold dual citizenship. After a long pause, the response was unequivocal: “You are not entitled to that information!” The offices of my other senator and congressman were no more helpful, while two nonprofits promoting ethics in government failed to return my voice messages summarizing the issue.

Until the Supreme Court decided otherwise in the 1967 case of Afroyim v. Rusk, a U.S. citizen who voted in a political election in a foreign state would lose his or her U.S. citizenship. Afroyim removed that penalty. It made dual or multiple citizenship legally permissible.

Before I am accused of anti-Semitism or a McCarthyite witch hunt, let me repeat: there is nothing illegal about dual citizenship for any American, including Members of Congress. Though some may argue that dual citizenship of Senators and Representatives carries an inherent conflict of interest that should require renunciation, my case here is simply for transparency—public disclosure of any dual or multiple citizenship. I single out Israel only because of the possibly automatic nature of its Law of Return. Transparency as to dual citizenship should be required of any Member of Congress who accepts another citizenship, regardless of country.

further...

https://custommapposter.com/article/dual-citizenship-rules-for-security-clearance-applicants/1781

Dual Citizenship Rules For Security Clearance Applicants (2026)

The most recent Adjudicative Guidelines went into effect on June 8, 2017. These govern security clearance determinations throughout the federal government for both employees and contractors.

Significantly, Guideline C makes clear that dual citizenship in itself is not disqualifying. If the dual citizenship is appropriately disclosed in the clearance application process and is not judged to be contrary to U.S. national interests, the dual citizen may nevertheless be granted a security clearance. This is a big departure from previous practice where applicants who were dual citizens could get past Guideline C only after surrendering their foreign passport and professing a willingness to renounce the foreign citizenship.

So - in 2017 - sixteen years after 9/11, dual citizenship in someone seeking security clearance was made LESS RESTRICTIVE.

Ponder that for a moment.

finally...

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/118/hr946/summary

H.R. 946 (118th): Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act

The Dual Loyalty Disclosure Act would mandate that political candidates for federal office publicly reveal, in required forms, if they are a citizen of an additional nation besides the U.S.

To be clear, it wouldn’t actually prevent dual citizens from serving in Congress. Such a potential step would seemingly need a constitutional amendment rather than a law, because the qualifications for serving in Congress are outlined in the Constitution itself.

The bill “will ensure that elected officials are fully committed to serving the best interests of their constituents and the United States,” Rep. Rosendale said in a press release.

“This legislation simply requires political candidates to be transparent about any foreign citizenship they may hold,” Rep. Rosendale continued. “In an increasingly interconnected world, this disclosure allows American citizens to make informed decisions on election day and hold politicians accountable.”

Not surprisingly, this legislation has gone nowhere.

The U.S. government still provides billions of tax dollars in annual aid much to the annoyance of the US population.

Which is why if I'm Israel, I would quit requesting yearly aid.

It's bad PR. And now Israel no longer needs it. They're a modern nation with a powerful economy. They used to be socialist but they went away from that to embrace capitalism.