Former Israeli Ambassador to the UN and former minister Gilad Erdan calculates that without establishing a military government in Gaza, Israel will not be able to eliminate Hamas.
"The cabinet must force the IDF to apply martial law like there was until 1993, and only then will we maybe be able to go on to those dreams of restoring Jewish settlement and sending a message to the area of another Nakba, with those Jihadists who attack Israel losing territory. That is the only language that they understand in the Middle East," Erdan stated at the Gush Katif Conference for National Responsibility.
He added, "No one wants to see the return of settlement in Gush Katif more than I do, and there’s no greater message than that. But when it comes to decisive action, what saddens me is that we’re hesitating on the one thing that could truly end Hamas rule — without an Israeli military administration, and I understand the costs involved, there is absolutely no chance we will succeed in dismantling Hamas’s governing capabilities."
Erdan rejected Hamas' "starvation" campaign. "The UN is amplifying Hamas’s lies about starvation. Sadly, there is still no recognition within the Israeli government that public diplomacy, branding, and perception are just as important as the IDF and the security establishment. Anyone who fails to understand this is making a very grave mistake. In the past, I proposed a program to the Prime Minister, and the state can create a public diplomacy army which needs a budget of billions of shekels, and it's justified."
When asked about his future in politics, Erdan announced that he plans to return to the front of the political stage. "I intend to return to public service soon. I intend to run for the Likud leadership after the Netanyahu era."