In a Monday interview with 103 FM, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu discussed his efforts and successes in reducing regulation, handling Hamas, and marijuana legislation.
When asked if he hadn't neglected Israel's internal issues, Netanyahu said, "I think there's a lot to do. It's a long process. What we've done is accomplish fantastic things in the economy, infrastructure, gas, cyber. There's the Ministers Committee for Regulation, and every two weeks it meets and cuts out regulations. I've brought us to the seventeenth place in competitions. Is there still a government of secretaries? We tried, we didn't always have the majority necessary to pass legislation."
In 2009, you promised to get rid of the Hamas rulership. Maybe you shouldn't promise illusions?
"I certainly don't go to war unnecessarily," Netanyahu told 103 FM. "I want every father and mother to know that I see their sons as if they were my own. We put Hamas in Gaza and it's hard to get them out of there. I can tell you that we've been working on Gaza for the past four and a half years. They've tried to riot on the border, and we didn't let them."
"The question is, do we conquer it or not? I've been around the Middle East and I asked Arab leaders if they were willing to take over Gaza if we conquered it, and the answer has always been no. So, I'm telling you that the best thing to do sometimes is to hit them hard, and not always do it for [Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud] Abbas, who would be very happy if we did the dirty work for him. I'm not going to do another Disengagement and make the same mistake again.
"I am acting responsibly and with a lot of force in Gaza, and I'm willing to pay a political price. I think I've proven that. I handle it responsibly but I'm not willing to pay in our sons' blood for a war that won't give us anything. If I think we have no choice but to start a widescale operation, I'll do it."
Regarding the legalization of marijuana, Netanyahu said, "We need to talk about what I did, not what I will do. I brought medical cannabis to many people who are suffering. We need to understand that people are really suffering, and there are about forty doctors who deal with it right now. I will examine the subject in a responsible fashion. There are different levels of decriminalization. A few of our Knesset members have dealt with this very responsibly, and I'm examining their suggestions very seriously. The most important thing is that we're thinking about the citizens."