The Minister of the Negev, the Galilee, and National Resilience, Yitzhak Wasserlauf, participated in the Jerusalem Conference in New York City and spoke sharply about the issue of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the release of hostages, and the future of civilian resilience in the Israeli periphery.

Regarding the cabinet discussions on allowing aid into Gaza, Wasserlauf said: “It was clear that at some point, humanitarian aid would enter Gaza. In the cabinet, we raised the concern that if we do not create a different distribution channel, the aid will end up in Hamas’s hands. I said then: why bring in aid? First, bring us the hostages — then we’ll talk.”

The minister clarified his position: “If you bring in aid and at the same time send fighters to fight Hamas, you are ventilating Hamas with one hand and fighting it with the other. We need to think carefully about the next steps. This is a pressure lever — it must be used correctly.”

Wasserlauf also addressed the protests heard among the American Jewish community and the calls directed at him from the crowd, stating: “I don’t speak English, but I understand Jewish. The hostages are important to all of us. No one thinks that a single hostage should be left in Gaza. Our responsibility is to bring them all back, and that’s why we send our children to fight — so they can return home as soon as possible.”

He also referred to the support march for Israel held in New York: “This was my first time at the march, and my heart is full. So much love for the people of Israel. My dream is for high school seniors from the Negev and the Galilee to do a service year here and experience this love.”

Regarding national resilience and the periphery, he said: “We have amazing projects in the Negev and the Galilee. We want to invest, reduce social gaps, and develop growth engines. I extend my hand to every partner — anyone with an idea, a solution, or a budget — join us.”