High drama unfolded inside the Israeli Knesset on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, as newly elected lawmakers were sworn in amid a fierce verbal shouting match between Sara Netanyahu, wife of caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and opposition leader Naftali Bennett.
The confrontation erupted during an impassioned address by Netanyahu, who used his podium time to attack Arab-majority political parties and accuse political rivals of seeking to build a “dangerous coalition.”
Sparks Fly Over Qatari Advisers & Arab Parties
The altercation was triggered when Bennett interrupted Netanyahu’s speech to question his policies and security record.
Bennett challenged Netanyahu over his handling of the October 7 inquiry, asking: “Why don’t you declare Qatar an enemy state? What about your Qatari advisers?”—referring to allegations that senior staff in the Prime Minister’s Office received funds to promote Qatari interests.
Sitting in the gallery, Sara Netanyahu confronted Bennett directly, shouting back over his previous willingness to form governing alliances with Arab factions.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Likud faction chairman Ofir Katz joined the shouting match, with Ben-Gvir heckling Bennett: “You sit with the Joint List and you want to talk?”
Eisenkot Pushes Reform Bills & Coalition Mandate
The shouting match comes as opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot—who received the official mandate to form the next government after securing the support of 67 lawmakers—moved swiftly to reverse key Likud policies.
Eisenkot’s Yashar Party submitted bills aiming to roll back controversial judicial overhaul laws and increase oversight into the October 7 intelligence failures.
The opposition bloc gathered sufficient signatures to trigger a vote aimed at replacing Netanyahu-backed Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.
Calling Netanyahu’s speech “shameful and hate-filled,” Eisenkot cancelled a planned negotiation meeting with the Likud party, stating Netanyahu was “unfit to remain in office for even one more minute.”
