Culture and Sports Minister MK Miki Zohar of the Likud party addressed the tensions between the political and military echelons, the cabinet’s stance on Hamas, and the international policy implications in an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News.
"The Chief of Staff is responsible for the military echelon, and he will implement the decisions of the political echelon. I have no doubt about this, and neither does the Chief of Staff," said Zohar.
He clarified that there is no dispute regarding the roles of the military and the government: "Of course, the Chief of Staff expresses his views in the Cabinet, and sometimes his positions are accepted, sometimes not. But ultimately, the political echelon makes the decisions, and I have no doubt that the Chief of Staff will carry out those decisions."
He expressed confidence in the broad perspective of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, "including on the international stage, which has proven itself time and again."
Regarding the government’s policy toward Gaza, Zohar said, "Our position is to pursue a comprehensive deal to end the war, in which all hostages are returned, Hamas no longer controls the Gaza Strip, and there are no more weapons in Gaza aimed at Israel. This is the Cabinet’s position, the Prime Minister’s position, and the position of the entire government." He added, "We are all united behind this stance, and it is now clear to Hamas as well."
Addressing why decisive measures were not taken at the start of the war, Zohar explained, "Because we wanted to secure the release of hostages. We succeeded in bringing back 207 hostages, most of them alive, though sadly, some were not." He noted that the strategy of partial deals was pursued to save lives, "and thank God, we managed to save quite a few."
Now, he said, "We are at the stage of ending the war by achieving a complete defeat of Hamas - whether through taking over the Gaza Strip or, if Hamas raises a white flag, leaves the Gaza Strip, and returns all the hostages."
Amid the mobilization of tens of thousands of reservists for the next phase of the war, he added, "I don’t want to continue endangering soldiers and fighting; war comes at a cost. I would want all the hostages returned alive immediately... but if Hamas does not comply, then yes, there will be a very tough war. Israel will strike with immense force and defeat Hamas. Hamas truly has no chance against the State of Israel."
On the international initiatives to establish a Palestinian state, Zohar was resolute: "I believe applying sovereignty is essential, and it must be done immediately across all parts of the Land of Israel. This is a fitting response to the desire of other countries to explore the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state here, God forbid. There is no chance a Palestinian state will be established here, and we will not recognize any such decision. It’s a disgrace because they are simply rewarding terrorism."
He added, "With God’s help, we will act to apply sovereignty, and that will be an appropriate response to terrorism."
In conclusion, the minister criticized the judicial system: "The Supreme Court repeatedly crosses boundaries... We see no possibility of continuing to work with the current Attorney General. She is actively working against the government."