Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded on Sunday evening to Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz’s proposal to establish a “Hostage Recovery Government.”
"At the start of the war, I supported expanding the government, even though I paid a heavy price for it. Gantz made an outrageous demand to exclude me from decision-making and from the War Cabinet. Still, I supported it because I believe that during wartime, as many sectors of Israeli society as possible should feel part of the decision-making process. But - and this is a very big but - Gantz joined then to win," Smotrich said in an interview with Kan Reshet Bet.
He continued, "Today, Gantz is unequivocally saying he wants to join to surrender. All this wordplay around 'hostage recovery' ultimately means capitulating to Hamas’s demands. If Gantz wants to join to strengthen the government, bolster our resilience, strike the enemy until complete victory and the return of all hostages - I warmly welcome that."
The Religious Zionist Party chairman added regarding the call for hostage redemption, "What wordplay - as if we don’t care about returning the hostages. We are making tremendous efforts and deeply want their return, and we are willing to do many things - except surrender to our enemy and lose the war. We are not willing to do that. That’s why Benny Gantz wants to join the government now, and that’s why we say to him: No, thank you."
Smotrich emphasized that the IDF’s planned operation in Gaza City must extract a full price from Hamas - militarily and politically.
"I’m talking about a very intense initial maneuver. Gaza is a combat zone; its population must be evacuated for safety and to isolate the terrorists. Once that is done, we must impose a complete siege - no food, no water, no fuel, no electricity. Nothing. You isolate Hamas, and in the areas where you’re operating, impose total siege conditions. Then, either the terrorists die in the tunnels or surrender and release the hostages."
He added, "There are political consequences as well. My position is known - we want to annex significant parts of the Gaza Strip, enable the establishment of communities, and demonstrate the cost of defeat and the mistake our enemy has made."
On the matter of the draft law, Smotrich stated, "I very much hope we won’t miss this opportunity. I say this both to the haredim and to ourselves. We must reach an agreement - a compromise that will bring historic change on this issue and lead to the integration of the haredim into the IDF. I understand it’s a process, not a quick fix, but the willingness to set a goal of 50% enlistment within five years, enforced by sanctions - I believe that’s significant."
He continued, "We must make serious efforts now, both within the military and the government, to create frameworks that enable haredim to enlist as haredim and remain haredim. The government must also support the establishment of hesder yeshivas and preparatory programs in the haredi community, as we have in the religious Zionist sector. I believe change is possible, and we can develop a process that leads to the desired outcome."
"We are determined to bring about haredi enlistment," he said. "We are determined to strengthen the IDF’s combat capabilities because it is a matter of national existential security. We aim to do so through dialogue and agreement, without dismantling the national camp."
Concluding his remarks, Smotrich referenced MK Simcha Rothman: "Simcha once told me that the word which best reflects populism—rather than a willingness to confront complex issues—is 'now.' 'Peace now,' 'deal now,' 'hostages now,' 'enlistment now,' 'everyone now.' We want everything immediately, but we understand - it’s a process."
Listen to the Hebrew interview below: