First Report: Finance Minister and member of the security cabinet Bezalel Smotrich sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding that a dedicated discussion be held in the Cabinet regarding the conclusions of the Shamgar Committee.
Smotrich is calling for the advancement of a legislative proposal to anchor the conclusions on how to address kidnappings in law - a proposal led by his faction leader, MK Ohad Tal, which is set to be discussed next week in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
In his letter, Smotrich reminds Netanyahu that after the Second Lebanon War, the Winograd Commission determined that "Israel's long-standing failure to prepare systematically and fundamentally for the threat of kidnappings is a strategic mistake," and that a comprehensive strategy is required to prevent and deal with kidnappings.
As a result of these findings, the Shamgar Committee was appointed, and its conclusions were submitted in 2012, but they remained classified and have never been ratified by a government decision or legislation.
According to Smotrich, the current security situation and the hard lessons learned in recent years require Israel to complete what is missing. "The incentive given to our enemies to use kidnapping terrorism obligates us to formulate a clear, consistent, and balanced policy that will reduce the incentive for kidnappings and protect the security of Israel's soldiers and citizens."
The Finance Minister further emphasizes that this is a unique opportunity at this time: "Currently, there is no living hostage in the hands of our enemies. This is the right time and the appropriate moment to anchor in law the principles of the Shamgar Committee, while making the necessary adjustments based on the experience and lessons learned. This is a necessary step as part of the lessons from the war and responsible preparation for the security challenges facing the State of Israel."