Opposition Lawmaker Slams Netanyahu Over Red Sea Shipping Blockade
Opposition lawmaker Oded Forer slams PM Netanyahu for ineffective Red Sea shipping blockade, leaving Eilat port isolated for nearly three years.
Jerusalem, 4 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — JERUSALEM — Yisrael Beytenu (Israel Our Home) Knesset Faction Chairman MK Oded Forer sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following remarks made at the Ashdod Naval Base regarding maritime security.
Forer condemned the Prime Minister’s pledge to safeguard Israel’s waters, pointing out that Houthi attacks have effectively blocked southern shipping lanes toward the Port of Eilat for nearly three years. He noted that commercial traffic to the southern port remains halted despite official assurances.
The opposition lawmaker accused Netanyahu of being detached from operational realities and failing to restore vital maritime access during the ongoing crisis. Forer asserted that the Prime Minister’s track record contradicts his security promises as international shipping routes to Israel remain disrupted.
Yisrael Beytenu is a right-wing party led by Avigdor Lieberman. Once a Netanyahu ally who served in various cabinet posts under him, Lieberman is now squarely in the ‘anyone but Netanyahu’ camp.