Finance Minister and Religious Zionism Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich claimed that he has had a major influence on the course of the current war and emphasized his role in securing the return of the hostages from Gaza.
"I think that if not for me, the war in Gaza would have been stopped even before Rafah. In fact, if not for me-contrary to the way some people try to portray me as someone who is cold-hearted and doesn't care about the hostages-I think that thanks to me, all the hostages are here," Smotrich said in an interview on Nadav Perry's All in podcast.
The minister added, "After the previous deal, in January 2025, we were left with 20 hostages and the bodies of others, and another deal was beginning to take shape under which only eight would return. If, at that moment, I hadn't drawn a red line and told Netanyahu, 'Absolutely not. Once our soldiers have entered Gaza to maneuver, there will be no pause just to improve our negotiating position,' we would still be negotiating with Hamas today over one hostage after another."
According to Smotrich, "I have a very significant influence on the war. That stems from being absolutely clear about where I want this war to end. I read all the intelligence material, study it thoroughly, and come to the discussions fully prepared. I am also capable of being pragmatic and not playing politics during the war-unlike others."