Speaking Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin said that Israel had given up Israel's security “in exchange for nothing.” Speaking at the Negev Conference held in southern Israel, Elkin said that “Israel had made mistakes in the past, and we need to ensure that citizens feel safe again.”
Elkin spoke as Gaza rocket attacks on Israeli towns continued. The Red Alert system sounded Tuesday afternoon in several towns in the Gaza border area. No injuries or damage were reported. The attack was just the latest in a series of rocket attacks, which has seen dozens of missiles fired at southern Israel in the past week and a half.
“I spoke to the heads of one of the towns here in the south, and he told me that the number 62 has been very significant for the Negev,” said Elkin. “The recent rains dropped 62 millimeters of rain on the region, while towns in the Negev were hit by 62 rockets. We are thankful for the rain, the official said, and we are not afraid of the rockets.
“I responded that the rocket fire was the result of mistakes made by past Israeli governments,” chief among them abandoning Gaza in the 2005 disengagement, paving the way for the terror regime of Hamas.
“We abandoned Israel's ability to ensure security for citizens, in return for nothing. We must learn from the mistakes of the past and restore security to the residents of the Negev. This is our obligation, and their right,” he added.