Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, addressed his party today regarding the prisoner exchange deal and expressed vehement opposition to its continuation.
He called in a caucus meeting for the Trump plan to be brought to the cabinet and implemented immediately after the first phase of the deal.
Smotrich claimed that despite the public and media pressure, he remained steadfast in his opposition. "The most popular and easy thing for us would have been to join the chorus and to connect with the natural human and Jewish emotion and to support the deal. We could have been the darling of the families and received a warm media embrace if only we had joined the herd."
"But my responsibility as a leader and as a public servant is to the State of Israel, its future and its security, and that obliges me to oppose the abandonment of millions of citizens of the State of Israel and of Jews throughout the world who will pay the heavy and terrible price of the continuation of the deal."
He shared: "I am taking fire for my stand against the deal including painful and harsh statements from the families of the abductees and others. But I am steadfast in my opposition out of national responsibility".
"History will not forgive short-sighted and irresponsible politicians who for months have been collaborating with Hamas propaganda and trying to push Israel into capitulation and defeat in this war. Politicians who seek to turn this war, instead of victory, into "another round" after which, God forbid, the next massacre, the next hostages, and the next round, and so on and so forth. We will not capitulate to this dangerous populism in any way."
With regard to the possible courses of action for the release of the hostages, Smotrich called for the cessation of the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and for the adoption of vigorous military measures.
"I am asked if you are opposed to the deal, then how will we return the hostages? So here is my way: We need to take all the anger, rage and revenge and direct it at the murderers in Hamas. Not to return to doing 'more of the same', but to return and fight in a different way."
He added: "Humanitarian aid to Hamas must be stopped completely. The entry and exit of security forces must be stopped, putting our soldiers at risk."
In his words, "to permanently occupy territory in response to the horrific massacre and to prevent the next massacre. Look at the Hamas jubilation at the sight of the IDF withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor in what they call the 'renewed liberation of the land'. They are not interested in tens of thousands of dead terrorists or in destroyed houses. Only the land interests them, and that must be taken away from them to hurt, to demonstrate the cost of loss and to deter any enemy anywhere in the world.
Smotrich also noted that efforts should be made to encourage emigration of Gaza residents, in coordination with the American administration. "And of course, to embark on an active and determined course of opening the gates to encourage emigration of Gaza residents in cooperation with President Trump who understands the root of the conflict and the only realistic solution. Only thus can we truly do everything, but everything, to free all the hostages and destroy the Hamas threat from a position of strength".
He turned to Netanyahu: "Mr. Prime Minister, this plan must be brought to the Cabinet for approval as soon as possible in order to be prepared for immediate action upon the conclusion of the first phase of the deal. This is the only realistic and only way to force Hamas to surrender, to hoist a white flag and to flee for its life in exchange for the release of all the hostages, the last of them."
In addition, Smotrich referred to the fighting in Judea and Samaria, noting that following the demand of his party, the security cabinet had set a clear goal for the war on terror in the area: "This is meant to prevent the next massacre, God forbid, in the settlements of Judea and Samaria, in the settlements of the security line and in the large population concentrations in the cities of Israel."
"The Arab residents of Judea and Samaria should know that if they continue with terror, their fate will be that of the residents of Gaza, Tulkarem and Jenin will look like Jabaliya and Sajaiya. Nablus and Ramallah will be like Rafah and Khan Yunis, and they too will become rubble-heaps uninhabitable and their inhabitants will be forced to wander and seek new lives in other countries. We will continue to insist that Operation Wall of Iron be continued and even expanded, and you will see that in the coming days."
In addition, he said, "We will also work to apply Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria. This is our land and the inheritance of our forefathers, and in doing so we will bury the threat of a Palestinian state in the heart of Israel and fortify Israel's security belt. So that Kfar Saba will not be like Kfar Azza and Netanya will not be like Be'eri and Nitzanei Oz will not be like Nahlal Oz."
In the economic context, the Finance Minister referred to the approval of the 2025 state budget: "In these days we are preparing to complete the approval of the 2025 state budget. We will not agree to delay the approval of the budget for any other law that needs to be discussed separately. We have a responsibility to the country and the economy and I am convinced that all our partners understand this."
"In the last two years, a false campaign of panic has been waged here about the collapse of the economy. They spoke of the lost decade of the State of Israel. Well, there will not be a lost decade here - there will be, with God's help, the golden decade of the State of Israel. I invite the citizens of Israel to put aside the slogans and the political statements, to seek out the "Report to the Citizen" that we have published, to peruse it, to understand what we have done with your money and what we plan to do in the future, and to view for yourselves the full data on the steps that we have led in the Israeli economy."