Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich defends his opposition to the hostage exchange deal, asserting that his concerns were valid and highlighting the grave repercussions it could have. In an interview with Israel Hayom, he expressed happiness about the return of the hostages but argued that the cost of the deal was excessively high.
“I am very happy for every hostage that returns, but this deal is flawed, and its costs are too heavy. You will see – we will all mourn later,” Smotrich said. “Everyone sees the families reunited in emotional moments but forgets the families whose loved ones’ killers are being released. Worse still – we don’t think about the families who still don’t know they will become bereaved families when terrorists with blood on their hands return to terror. This deal could lead to rivers of blood.”
Instead of agreeing to a risky prisoner swap, Smotrich suggests a radically different strategy: “Instead of paying in blood and releasing terrorists, we should set a new equation – for every day the hostages aren’t returned, we annex 5% of Gaza’s territory.”
Regarding National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s resignation from the government after the deal, Smotrich criticizes the move, stating: “Itamar made life easier for himself. He saved his own reputation. The deal won’t stick to him, but he is not a partner in returning to war. If I had joined him in toppling the government, it would have been the best gift for Hamas. Hamas understands perfectly that if the government falls, the war stops and they come out victorious.”
Smotrich believes that staying in the government is crucial to continuing the war: “I bear responsibility for a deal that I believe is bad and dangerous, but thanks to that, we will return to war and achieve its objectives.”
He warns that the deal sets a harmful precedent: “The message this deal conveys is that anyone who wants to subdue the State of Israel only has to kidnap Jews. There’s no need for an Iranian nuclear program or missiles, just kidnap two families.”
To correct what he sees as a dangerous outcome, Smotrich insists that Israel must return to military action: “We must ensure that we return to fighting, and our message must be clear – whoever kidnaps a Jew dies. That’s what will happen to Hamas.”
{Matzav.com}