Former Likud stalwart Oren Hellman breaks ranks to back Bennett
Oren Hellman, a prominent Israeli businessman and long-time Likud activist who previously worked as an advisor to Benjamin Netanyahu, has announced that he will vote for Naftali Bennett in the upcoming elections. In a detailed public statement, Hellman explained that despite remaining proud members of the Likud movement, he and his family can no longer support Netanyahu. Hellman cited several core reasons for his political shift, including Netanyahu's ultimate responsibility for the October 7 security failures, the government's attempts to weaken the judiciary and undermine free media, and the ongoing inequality regarding military draft exemptions for the ultra-Orthodox community. Emphasizing his deep-rooted right-wing credentials, Hellman argued that true nationalism requires accountability and state responsibility rather than blind loyalty to a single leader.