MK Danny Danon, chairman of World Likud, spoke to Arutz Sheva – Israel National News about the necessity of a military operation in Rafah.
On the local political arena, after MK Gideon Sa’ar announced his decision to leave MK Benny Gantz's National Unity party and join the Right, Danon said, “I don't know the political implication of his statement, but one thing I can tell you. We need to change what's happening on the ground in Gaza and I hope that this change will actually lead the cabinet to take more aggressive decisions in order to move forward and finish the job in Gaza.”
“We started very strong but now we are pausing, I think it is about time to go into Rafah, move the population to different areas, and to finish the job with Hamas. I think that [Prime Minister] Netanyahu also realizes that we will have to do that. The question is when. I think now that, unfortunately, we don't have a deal regarding the hostages yet, we have to move forward. So we have to implement the plans for evacuating the population from Rafah to other areas and mobilize the military. Many Hamas terrorists found a safe place in Rafah. We have to fight them and win.”
On international pressure, US pressure, world pressure, and Biden's statement to Israel warning, ‘Don't,’ Danon said, “We appreciate the support of the US, the UN, the ammunition, but at the same time we have to win this war, and with all due respect to the US election calendar, we have a different calendar and we have to win the war. We cannot stop now, without finishing the fight against Hamas, so we have to tell our allies in Washington, respectfully, we beg to disagree. We cannot stop now. We will go all the way until Hamas is eradicated. Maybe it's not convenient for your elections, but for us, we have no other options. For us, it's life and death.”
MK Danon admitted that he is not surprised to see the pressures, the messages coming from Washington day after day, and added that, “I think we will see more. I know elections in the US and in Israel. I know it will be a hot issue and every once in a while there will be more pressure coming at us. We have to push back and focus on what's important for us. We cannot allow Hamas to stay in power. I don't know who will be in the White House in November 2024, but I can tell you one thing, that after the election in the US, Hamas will not be in Gaza.”
On the worlds’ silence about the sexual crimes on October 7th, which is still continuing today with the hostages, and regarding the United Nations' publication of the results of the investigation, MK Danon said he believes that, “This is a very important report. For the first time the UN has finally said what we knew for months, that we have experienced atrocities that no one can imagine. The numbers of sexual misconduct, raping and it’s ongoing, ongoing atrocities as we speak. We still have hostages, females, young girls, in the hands of Hamas and I think it is about time that the world will wake up. I hear so many dignitaries speaking about the humanitarian suffering in Gaza, I don't hear them talking about the humanitarian suffering of our hostages in the hands of Hamas. So I expect the UN to do more and to make this report public.”
On the other hand, the head of the UN has made many excuses for what happened on October 7th. MK Danon said, “Secretary Guterres made shameful statements and unfortunately decided then to ignore the facts on the ground, and I hope that he will change the way he conducts business at the UN. He is supposed to be neutral, but even now when you hear about the sexual issues, he had to make the equation of Palestinian women, which I'm not familiar with any allegation, but how can you put that together? How can you make that equation? That's shameful.”