THE PRIME MINISTERSHIP TO LAPIR
IN TWO YEARS TIME.
GEORGE BURBAUM WHO, LIKE
BENNETT, SERVED AS BENJAMIN
NETANYAHUS CHIEF OF STAFF AT
ONE POINT IN TIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON
THE SHOW TONIGHT.
YOUR BOSS, NAFTALI BENNETT, THE
GUY YOURE ADVISING, HAS AGREED
TO FORM A COALITION AGREEMENT IN
WHICH HE BECOMES PRIME MINISTER
NOW AND LAPID IN TWO YEARS
TIME.
NEVER AND UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES
WILL I EVER LEND A HAND TO THE
ESTABLISHMENT OF A GOVERNMENT OF
JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, HE CALLED
HIM A TERRORIST SUPPORTER.
NOW HES HAPPY TO WORK WITH HIM.
WAS BENNETT BEING RACIST THEN OR
OPEN OPPORTUNISTIC NOW OR WHAT
IS GOING ON HERE?
>> I BELIEVE EITHER.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP,
REAL LEADERSHIP MEANS HAVING
SOMETIMES ADJUST AND EVEN EVOLVE
IN TERMS OF YOUR POINT OF VIEW.
REMEMBER, HE WAS AGAINST A TWO
STATE SOLUTION WHEN HE SAID HE
WAS FOR ONE AFTER THE BUSH PEACE
PLAN WAS USHERED IN.
AND BENJAMIN NETANYAHU WAS
AGAINST TWO STATE SOLUTION UNTIL
HE WAS IN 2009 IN WHICH HE
FINALLY ACCEPTED THE IDEA OF A
TWO STATE SOLUTION IN AT THE
PALESTINIANS.
SO I THINK BENNETT IS IN A
POSITION NOW THAT HE IS
POTENTIALLY GOING TO BECOME
PRIME MINISTER REALIZES THAT HIS
VIEWS MAY HAVE TO EVOLVE A
LITTLE BIT.
HES TAKEN A VERY BRAVE STEP.
HE INCLUDED THE LONGEST PARTY IN
AN OFFICIAL COALITION AND STATE
OF ISRAEL.
FIRST TIME IN HISTORY.
HE IS MAKING THE COALITION WITH
OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES THAT ARE
DIE MET RICKLY OPPOSED TO HIS
VIEWS:THIS WILL BE A REAL TEST
OF LEADERSHIP.
IT IS A FIRST ISRAEL TO HAVE
SUCH A GOVERNMENT. AND A LOT OF POLITICAL ACTION AS
AND A LOT OF POLITICAL ACTION AS
WELL TO NAVIGATE THE WATERS.
THIS ISNT KUWAIT TO SAME OVER
TIME.
THERE IS THE SPACE OF A FEW
WEEKS AND I QUOTE, NEVER UNDER
NO CIRCUMSTANCES, NEVER, WILL I
LEND A HAND TO THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF A GOVERNMENT LED BY HIM.
NOW HE DOES IT A FEW WEEKS LATER
TO GET POWER.
IF YOURE AN ISRAELI VOTER, WHY
SHOULD YOU BELIEVE ANYTHING
BENNETT SAYSHE?
JUST BROKE HIS WORD BLATANTLY.
>> I THINK THE TWO MEN GOT
TOGETHER.
THEY LOOKED EACH OTHER IN THE
EYE.
THEY REALIZED THEY COULD TRUST
EACH OTHER.
WHILE THERE WERE POLITICAL FOES
FOR MANY YEARS, THEY HAD TO PUT
BOTH OF THEM, HAD TO PUT THE
INTEREST OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL
OUT OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL
INTEREST.
.
THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF
LEADERSHIP.
>> LETS TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE
OTHER THINGS, GEORGE THAT,
BENNETT HAS SAID IN THE PAST.
YOU REPORTEDLY SAID TO THE
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISORS, I
KILL LOTS OF ARABS IN MY LIFE.
AND THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH
THAT.
YOU TOLD A LEGISLATORS LIFE LUF,
WHEN YOU WERE STILL SWINGING
FROM TREES, WE HAD A JEWISH
STATE HERE.
THAT IS FAR RIGHT RACIST
RHETORIC, IS IT NOT?
>> YEAH. LISTEN, I DONT THINK I WAS WITH
LISTEN, I DONT THINK I WAS WITH
HIM AT THAT POINT.
HE CERTAINLY HAS BEEN VERY
HAWKISH IN THE PAST. HE REPRESENTED THE SETTLER
HE REPRESENTED THE SETTLER
MOVEMENT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT HE IS FEELING IT.
I THINK HES GOING TO BE VERY
RESPONSIBLE.
REMEMBER, THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF
SHAH HONE, SHAHRON WAS HAULED AS
A PEACEMAKER LATER IN LIFE.
I THINK POLITICIANS CAN EVOLVE.
THIS IS A REASON IN WHICH I
THINK EVERYONE DESERVES TO LIVE.
EVERYONE DESERVES TO SEE THEIR
CHILDREN GROW UP IN PEACE AND
SECURITY.
IM VERY HOPEFUL THIS WILL DO IT
FOR EVERYBODY.
>> I MEAN, GEORGE, YOURE RIGHT.
SOME PEOPLE DID HAIL AERIAL
SHARON DESPITE HIS BLOODSTAIN
PAST AS A PEACEMAKER.
OF A LOT OF PALESTINIANS DIDNT.
IF IF YOU WERE A PALESTINIAN
CITIZEN OF ISRAEL, HOW YOU WOULD
FEEL ABOUT HAVING A PRIME
MINISTER WHO ONCE REFERRED TO
YOU AS SWINGING IN A TREE?
SO YESTERDAY BENNETT ANNOUNCED
HE WAS THEM AS A BRAVE LEADER,
HAVING GOT TO KNOW HIM.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT
HISTORY, WEVE SEEN THAT THE
RHETORIC FOLLOWS OFF ONCE YOU
BUILD A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
AND DROP STIGMAS AND PARRA DINLS
THAT EXISTED.
THAT IS THE WAY TO PEACE IN ANY
SITUATION.
IM HOPEFUL THAT GIVEN THE FACT
THAT BENNETT HAS BEEN PUT IN
THIS POSITION AND HES NOW
SITTING IN A COALITION WITH
ABBAS, THE TWO OF THEM WILL BE
TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
THEYLL BE WORKING TOGETHER.
THEYLL BE GETTING TO KNOW EACH
OTHER.
THAT WILL HELP HIM EVOLVE AS A
PERSON, A LEADER AND GIVE HOPE
TO THE JEWS AND PALESTINIANS
LIVING IN THIS REGION THAT PEACE
THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR SO LONG
WILL COME TO FRUITION.
>> OKAY.
HE SAID THIS TO ME WHEN I
INTERVIEWED HIM, GEORGE, IN
2017.
HAVE A LISTEN.
>> I GUESS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
IS GO BACK AND CHANGE THE BIBLE.
YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE
OF THE BIBLE.
ITS ALL THERE.
st.
>> ITS A JEWISH STATE.
>> I ASSUME THOSE ALL --
>> THE SUPREME COURT OF THE --
>> THOSE WERE THE WORDS OF A
FEAR PERSON, NOT THE WORDS OF A
DEMOCRATIC POLITICIAN.
THE BIBLE GAVE US ALL THE LAND.
CHANGE THE BIBLE IF YOU WANT US
TO MAKE PEACE.
>> WELL, LISTEN, THERE IS
CERTAINLY A FOUNDATION OF
BELIEFS THAT THE JEWISH STATE IS
INHERENTLY BELONG TO THE JEWISH
PEOPLE BASED ON HISTORICAL AND
BIBLICAL PRECEDENT.
BUT AGAIN, WE REALLY TOOK THAT
TO THE EXTREME.
LETS SAY, YOU KNOW, EAST OF
JORDAN RIVER, SYRIA, SOUTHERN
LEBANON.
YOU KNOW, IT ALL BELONGS TO THE
STATE OF ISRAEL TOO.
I DONT THINK THAT NATALLY
BENNETT IS SAYING THAT EITHER.
AGAIN, I THINK RHETORIC IS EASY
WHEN YOURE NOT IN POWER.
ITS A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN YOU
HAVE TO GOVERN.
AND DO NOW HAVE THE WEIGHT OF
PEOPLES LIVES ON YOUR
SHOULDERS, THE DECISION MAKING
POWER TO PROMOTE PEACE OR WAR.
AND I BELIEVE NATALI BENNETT
WILL DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO
PROMOTE PEACE.
>> JUST TO BE CLEAR, HE WAS THE
MINISTER IN GOVERNMENT WHEN HE
SAID THAT TO ME IN 2017.
LOOK, IM HOPING YOURE RIGHT.
THAT HE IS MOVING ON THESE
ISSUES.
HE IS CHANGING.
AND TIME WILL TELL.
BUT NATALI BENNETT SAID ON
RECORDS MANY TIMES HE DOESNT
SUPPORT A PALESTINIAN STATE AND
NEVER WILL.
P HAS HE DONE A U-TURN ON THAT
TOO, GEORGE?
OR WILL THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
BEING DEALING WITH A GOVERNMENT
THAT DOESNT EVEN PRETEND TO
SUPPORT A TWO STATE LUGSSOLUTION
>> HE AND I, WE HAVENT
DISCUSSED THAT.
I DONT KNOW THAT HES EVEN GONE
TO THAT POINT YET AS TO WHAT HE
WILL SAY AND DO WHEN HE MEETS
WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN.
AGAIN, MY HISTORY HAS BEEN
HAVING WORKED NOW NOT JUST IN
ISRAEL BUT AROUND THE WORLD WITH
MANY PRIME MINISTERS AND
PRESIDENTS AROUND THE WORLD THAT
ITS EASY TO TALK WHEN YOURE
NOT IN A POSITION OF POWER.
OF BUT ONCE YOU HAVE THAT WEIGHT
ON YOUR SHOULDERS, THERE IS AN
EVOLUTION.
AND YOU HAVE TO WORK --
>> YOU MADE THAT POINT.
ITS A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.
DOES HE SUPPORT A TWO STATE
SOLUTION NOW OR NOTHE?
HASNT UP UNTIL THIS POINT.
WE NEED TO KNOW THAT.
st.
>> HE AND I, WE HAVE NOT TALKED
ABOUT IT.
I CANT SPEAK FOR HIM.
THOSE ARE THINGS AS PRIME
MINISTER HELL HAVE TO SPEAK FOR
HIMSELF.
I CANT ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE DISCUSSED
IN THE PAST SIX TO TEN MONTHS.
>> FINE.
OKAY.
LAST QUESTION TO YOU THEN.
WHATEVER ISRAELI GOVERNMENT
FORMED THIS WEEK, GAZIANS
CONTINUE TO LEAVE UNDER SIEGE.
WEST BANKERS WILL CONTINUE TO
HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ILLEGAL
ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS.
IT REALLY MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF
THE ISRAELI LEADER IS YOUR NEW
BOSS, BENNETT OR YOUR OLD BOSS
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU?
>> I WOULD TAKE EXCEPTION WITH
SOME OF THE CHARACTERIZATION.
I THINK THAT IF YOU HAVE A
GOVERNMENT THAT IS MADE UP OF
SUCH A BROAD IDEOLOGY AND THIS
GOVERNMENT WILL BE MADE UP.
THAT THERE SHOULD BE HOPE FOR
BOTH JEWS AND PALESTINIANS THAT
THERE CAN BE A CHANGE IN THE
STATUS QUO AND HOWEVER YOU
CHARACTERIZE THAT STATUS QUO, IT
IS REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
>> IMPROVING THE STATUS QUO AND
IMPROVING PEOPLES LIVES AND
ALSO WONT TELL US IF IF YOUR
PALESTINIANS CAN HAVE A STATE IN
INDEPENDENCE.
>> LISTEN, I WORKED FOR PRIME
MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU.
THE I WORKED FOR PRIME MINISTER
SHARON.
YOU KNOW, I THINK A TWO STATE
SOLUTION IS INEVITABLE.
THAT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION.
IM NOT TALKING AS AN OFFICIAL
POSITION FOR BENNETT.
I THINK THATS AN INEVITABILITY.
I JUST THINK ITS GOING TO TAKE
THE RIGHT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP ON
BOTH SIDES TO GET THERE.
AGAIN, IM HOPEFUL THAT A BROAD
COALITION MAY HELP LEAD TO THAT.
I THINK THAT, AGAIN, I WOULD
LIKE TO SEE EVERY JEW AND EVERY
ARAB BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEIR
CHILDREN AND KNOW THEYRE GOING