Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claims that invading Rafah must be done regardless of US support.
By Hezki Baruch, INN Apr 1, 2024, 4:35 PM (GMT+3)
Minister Bezalel Smotrich in the Knesset Plenum?????: ???? ????????, ?????? ?????
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called at his party meeting to increase military pressure on Hamas because, according to him, this is what will make Hamas agree to a deal.
“We are at war,” Smotrich began his speech, “At this moment our sldiers are in Khan Yunis and are fighting face to face with the Nazis of Hamas-ISIS, defending us and actively attacking Hezbollah in the north, and operate every day in Judea and Samaria. We are fighting against those who rise against us to eliminate us. In war, one must act as in war and the first and central thing is to preserve our unity which we rediscovered after Simchat Torah”.
He added that “There will be time for investigations, soul-searching, and finding the guilty, there will be time for protests and criticism, the time will come to go back to the public in elections and to gain confidence. But now is the time to fight for our future and to win the war and to act with all our might to bring back our abductees. Sectarian and violent conduct harms Israel’s security”.
“I said and warned that it would be a mistake to send our delegation to Qatar and Egypt while Hamas wants the war to continue. Unfortunately, we are consistently retreating from our boundries and this only makes Sinwar climb demand more ridiculous things,” he said.
He continued referring to Hamas’ demands and said that “The new demand to cancel the Nitzarim corridor and return hundreds of thousands of Gaza residents to the northern Strip, including thousands of terrorists, is a terrible danger to the residents of Sderot who returned to their homes and are in a distance of only a few kilometers, and to all citizens of the State of Israel. It will harm the ability to demilitarize the Gaza Strip as a condition for its rehabilitation. Anyone who approves this terrible step is abandoning Israel’s security. The one demanding this is irresponsible”.
According to him, “The way to return the abductees is by dramatically increasing military pressure and entering Rafah with or without American consent, until Hamas is subdued, Sinwar is eliminated, and all the abductees are returned”.
“As part of this attack, we see unprecedented sanctions being imposed on Israeli citizens whose only sin is settling in Judea and Samaria and guarding our state lands. We will not agree to this and will fight against it with all our might,” he clarified.
Regarding the haredi draft law, he said: “I have an important message for the Haredi public: The pictures you saw yesterday in Jerusalem do not reflect what the Israeli public thinks of you. Do not let a handful of extreme political activists push you out of integration and influence in Israeli society. They do not represent any stream in Israeli society. Israeli society recoils when it sees these displays of brute force that seek to destroy and demolish while the people of Israel are at war. These people do not represent Israelis. They do not represent the secular. They do not represent the IDF soldiers. They do not represent the unity that all of Israel gathered around”.
Smotrich explained that “The way to integrate the Haredi public is through dialogue and sincere conversation with the Haredi leadership and establishing tracks and frameworks that are suitable for their lifestyle in the IDF and in the security system. We need respect, brotherly love, dialogue, trust, and a measured and responsible process. Any path of hatred and defamation as unfortunately seen yesterday in the Brothers in Arms demonstration in Meah Shearim will achieve the opposite result and cause immense damage”.
Finally, Smotrich said that “The Supr me Court and Attorney General must also act to assist in the success of the mission and not to cause a severe rift and enmity that will not bring one additional soldier to enlist.”
If the Israeli people want to survive, this bridge must crossed. The Rafah enclave must be crushed and the entire Strip must be irradicated of any surviving members of Hamas. There can be no other choice.