Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded today (Sunday) at the start of the Cabinet meeting to threats from the right about dismantling the coalition if Hamas is not decisively defeated in Gaza.
"Tonight there will be a statement, and there will also be answers for the 'gatekeepers' from the right," Netanyahu said.
He sent a message to the ministers who are threatening to bring down the government. "The right has a special talent for toppling right-wing governments, and then we pay tragic prices."
All ministers from the Religious Zionism Party and Otzma Yehudit were absent from the meeting.
Yesterday, Minister Smotrich referred to the Cabinet’s decision to capture Gaza City, stating that he had lost trust in Prime Minister Netanyahu's ability and willingness to lead the IDF to victory and a resolution of the Hamas threat.
"Citizens of Israel, in 22 months of war, we paid heavy tolls, but thank G-d, we reached great achievements on all fronts. Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, and other enemies, who threatened us for years and planned a tremendous attack, were defeated," Smotrich began."
"In Gaza, we hit Hamas hard and we eliminated most of its leaders and an important part of its terror infrastructure. But the job isn't done, and the war's objectives have not been completely achieved," he said.
Smotrich continued: "In recent weeks, I worked intensively with the Prime Minister on a dramatic move for victory in Gaza. A combination of a quick military victory and an immediate diplomatic process that would exact a painful price from Hamas, destroy its military and civil capabilities, apply unprecedented pressure to release the hostages, and uplift the spirits of the people of Israel. For weeks, it seemed as if the Prime Minister supported the plan. He discussed its details with me and expressed that he is aiming for a decisive victory and intends to go to the end this time. But unfortunately, he did an about-face."
"The Prime Minister and the cabinet have succumbed to weakness, letting emotion override reason, and have once again decided to do more of the same — launching a military move whose purpose is not decisive victory, but merely applying pressure on Hamas to bring it to a partial hostage deal. This comes with the clear message that if Hamas agrees to a deal, we will once again agree to stop, withdraw, and allow it to recover and rearm — only for the cycle to repeat itself," he said.
According to Smotrich, "This is not how you achieve victory, this is not how you bring home hostages, this is not how you win a war."
"When facing the prospect of a deal, the IDF will always stall and won't operate at full capacity. An worst of all, it is clear that if we leave Hamas an option for a temporary pause, every time it feels that its a moment from collapsing, it will ask for a pause to refresh and agree to a temporary deal, and then the war will again stop, and the soldiers will again withdraw and their efforts and sacrifices will go down the drain. And the cycle repeats itself, and there is no victory," he said.
He continued: To send tens of thousands of soldiers to maneuver in Gaza City while risking their lives. To pay heavy diplomatic and international prices, just to put pressure on Hamas to release hostages, and then to retreat, is an immoral and nonsensical folly."
"Unfortunately, for the first time since the war began, I feel like I just can't stand behind this decision and support it. My conscience doesn't allow it," he said.
"Until now, I supported even the decisions that I didn't love. Because of the importance of unity, I stood behind moves that were less correct in my opinion. I remained in the government despite horrendous decisions such as the release of murderous terrorists with blood on their hands and painful withdrawals from territories that were taken with much blood. I did this as long as I estimated that were were working for a decisive victory. I have lost confidence that the Prime Minister is able and willing to lead the IDF there," he added.
"War to win to the end. Yes, even if it has heavy costs. But a partial move that only seeks to bring Hamas back to the negotiation table with a national embarrassment and surrender to terrorism - no way," he said.
"Mr. Prime Minister, it is not too late to go back. Reconvene the cabinet and announce unequivocally that there will be no more stopping in the middle. That there will be no more partial deals. That this time, we are going for a clear move of decisive victory, which ends with Hamas's total surrender and the return of all hostages in one wave, or its total defeat and destruction. The annexation of large parts of the Gaza Strip and the opening of its gates to voluntary emigration," Smotrich concluded.