National Security Minister and Security Cabinet member Itamar Ben Gvir declared that there is no ceasefire in Lebanon and that this reality must be made clear to US President Donald Trump.
“There is reason for concern. I have a son in Lebanon, and we are committed to him and to all IDF soldiers. I am telling Prime Minister Netanyahu - you have done wonderful things, you have friendly relations with Donald Trump, you need to go to him and tell him the truth. We cannot cease fire, we cannot restrict ourselves. All of Lebanon needs to be our ‘playground.’ It cannot be that IDF commanders have to calculate - in one area we attack and in another we do not," he said.
When asked about Defense Minister Israel Katz’s statements that there are no restrictions on the activity of forces on the ground, Ben Gvir did not hesitate to present a completely different reality.
“Soldiers can respond when they are fired upon - but that is not enough. It is not true to say there are no limitations. The IDF cannot operate everywhere - and that is a limitation.
“I must say about Minister Katz: he is fighting for responses and strikes to be carried out. He is not the problem. The finger needs to be pointed at the Prime Minister," he added.
The major concern on the right is that the American administration will push moves that erode Israel’s military achievements, something that could also affect the political arena in Israel. Ben Gvir addressed the possibility of an Israeli withdrawal and stated: “I very much hope that does not happen. I am doing everything to convince Benjamin Netanyahu that this would be a mistake. We need freedom of action everywhere - in Dahiyeh, in Beirut. I am telling the Prime Minister: let’s not go backward."
According to him, the key to victory lies solely in the hands of Israel’s Prime Minister, regardless of who sits in the White House.
“With all due respect to Trump - he is not the story. The story here is Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is not another star on the American flag. Our Prime Minister needs to make decisions, and it depends on him. There is no situation in which we begin acting according to dictates from a friend - even if he is a great friend."
The minister refused to attribute hostile intentions to the American president, but emphasized the foreign interests that influence his decisions.
“Trump loves Israel and is a great friend of Israel - but he has other considerations. I do not want to be ungrateful, because Trump has done great things and we need to thank him for that. But there is no reality in which we implement pre-October 7 concepts in Lebanon. All of Lebanon needs to be in our sights. There cannot be even one place where Hezbollah terrorists have immunity. I do not trust the Lebanese, and they too need to pay the price."
Ben Gvir also responded to comments by US Vice President J.D. Vance, who hinted in Switzerland that certain ministers in the Israeli Cabinet were “inflaming tensions."
“He would never allow an organization like Hezbollah to be on the border. They would never allow their freedom of action to be restricted. That is exactly what I want from the Vice President. As far as I am concerned, with all due respect to Vance, IDF soldiers come first."
Regarding the Iranian threat, Ben Gvir expressed skepticism about the possibility of reaching a diplomatic solution and made clear that Israel will need to act alone.
“The Americans are very naïve if they think the Iranians will abandon their nuclear plans and cancel and stop all their dreams of destroying Israel. I think the moment is approaching when the State of Israel will understand that it is our responsibility to deal with the threat and act against it on our own."
Finally, the minister addressed the map of right-wing parties ahead of the elections and rumors that Brig. Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter may run independently. Ben Gvir called on him to act responsibly and recommended that he join Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich.
“I think Bezalel Smotrich should run on a joint list with Ofer Winter that appeals to the part of the religious-Zionist public that does not vote for me.
“Winter does not pass the electoral threshold and knows that every vote that goes to him if he runs independently will go to Bennett or Eisenkot. I very much hope Winter internalizes that he cannot run if he does not pass the threshold. He should try to join another party. I also faced this situation and joined Bezalel in the past, and there is no reason Winter should not learn from that experience," he concluded.