He also declined to comment directly on whether he would block the Biden administration’s efforts to reestablish a consulate for the Palestinians in Jerusalem. Mr. Trump closed the consulate, folding its duties into the United States Embassy, which he moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.
But Mr. Biden hopes to reopen the consulate to help mend a relationship with the Palestinians that collapsed under Mr. Trump. Palestinians hope that East Jerusalem, which Israel captured from Jordan in 1967, will one day form the capital of a Palestinian state. Mr. Bennett chafes at any gesture that might signal support for a future division of the city.
“Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,” Mr. Bennett said. “It’s not the capital of other nations.”
And the prime minister batted away rights issues that recent polls suggest are of increasing concern to liberal Jews in the United States. He rejected claims that Israel operates a policy of apartheid in the West Bank, and condemned a recent decision by the ice-cream maker, Ben & Jerry’s, to stop selling ice cream in the occupied territories.
Over the course of an hourlong interview, Mr. Bennett was at his most engaged and passionate when talking about more technocratic topics, like his recent decision to provide Israelis with a third dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
Israel is battling a fourth wave of coronavirus infections despite having a world-leading vaccination program. Mr. Bennett is micromanaging the crisis, starting each day by reviewing new global and Israeli data and research.
He pioneered the provision of booster shots before the practice was approved even by American health authorities, again turning Israel into a real-world test case for vaccine efficacy.
“I talk to, I’d say, three or four leaders around the world about stuff every week,” Mr. Bennett said. “The moment Covid comes up, a 20-minute call turns into an hour-and-a-half call. Because Covid is the biggest issue on every leader’s plate.”