Defense Minister Naftali Bennett (Yamina) on Monday told participants at the Besheva Jerusalem Conference that he "has a goal of bringing home the bodies of Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, but not by releasing murderous terrorists."
"We have a moral and ethical obligation to bring them home, by pressuring Hamas by collecting terrorists' bodies. There's a lot of criticism, that it 'doesn't look good,'" he added.
"Stop mixing things up. There's nothing more humane than collecting negotiating chips in order to bring our sons home."
On Sunday morning, IDF bulldozers collected the body of the terrorist who carried out the attempted bomb placement, and brought the body for burial in Israel. The move was criticized by Israel's left, which called it "inhumane."
Hamas is currently holding the bodies of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, who were killed during 2014's Operation Protective Edge. In addition to Goldin and Shaul, Hamas is believed to be holding two living Israelis, both of whom are mentally ill: Hisham al-Sayed, and Avera (Avraham) Mengistu.
Regarding his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Bennett said, "I and Prime Minister Netanyahu argue politically, but in the room, in security discussions, we work very well together. The Prime Minister is not trying to harm my work. I was very pleasantly surprised."
Regarding Iran's entrenchment in Syria, he said: "For many years we have waged tactical battles against Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, but today we understand that the one who is behind most of our tactical problems is Iran. It's like an octopus who sits in Tehran and sends his arms out to make us miserable. I'm not just talking about the Iranian reactor. We're in an ongoing battle to weaken and tire the head of the snake, so that less oxygen reaches its arms."
"We're raising the tempo and harming Iranians in Syria. They have no business there. I don't want a third Lebanon war or Protective Edge 14. We're bringing the war to their homes. All their energy will be directed towards the head, in order to create tactical battles on the edges."
When asked about his party's view for the future, Bennett said: "After the elections, we will remain united. On Tuesday, after the elections, we will hold Yamina's first party meeting."