Aryeh Deri was a cabinet member during the most difficult times the State of Israel has ever known, when fateful decisions were on the table, including discussions about an attack on Iran, secret military operations behind enemy lines, riots on the Temple Mount, political pressure, and more. But he said his most difficult incident as a cabinet member occurred in a meeting with the families of the abductees.
Deri at a meeting with the families of the abductees. "Love them and understand them", photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"It was the hardest encounter I've ever had. I listened to everything that was said for three hours, in the end I took the right to speak and told them that I love them and understand their hearts, and it is important for them to know that I have been at quite a few junctures of difficult decisions, but I have never been in a cabinet that passed one percent of what this cabinet goes through every day. If in the past in cabinet meetings fateful issues were decided once a month or once every two weeks, today every hour there are questions in the law of souls."
For example?
"Should we embark on a maneuver knowing that there will be a painful price in the soldiers' lives, through where to maneuver, what happens when you go out to bomb targets, where, God forbid, there are abductees, who else are you liable to harm, and all this even before the discussion about the outline of the abductees. Women and children yes – and what about the fathers? And what about the elderly? And the soldiers? And will it hurt the attempt to bring everyone back? And will it endanger the soldiers? And will it hurt the continuation of the fighting? And what do we do with the north? Are you attacking or retaliating? Every decision is the law of souls. On every issue there is an existential threat, there are fates that are decided, it's not simple."
In order to make such decisions, the cabinet must work well and together. Is this happening?
"Even if we don't always agree on everything, there is a group of people sitting here who gave up all considerations of ego and politics and decided to go under the stretcher, and it's a shame Lapid and Lieberman didn't come in.
"This unity is an asset, and it has operational achievements. Our enemies in the north, south, Judea and Samaria and Iran were sure that Israeli society was disintegrated. They did not believe that the army would stabilize in full force and fight. They didn't believe that all the Jewish parties would support the war, they didn't dream that there would be a small cabinet that included Eisenkot and Gantz."
"Want Lapid and Lieberman"
If the war takes more time, why won't you make more efforts to bring in Lapid and Lieberman?
"I am also working these days, even during these hours, in this matter. I don't give up. We have a very big mission in the south to advance until we reduce all of Hamas' governmental and military capabilities."
Deri at the plenum, voting for a unity government, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
After the events of 7/10, do you trust the army?
"I trust the Creator, and yes, I also trust the army. We sit for long hours, there is no day and no night. There haven't been Saturdays for a very long time. The discussions are conducted well, everything is discussed, questions are asked, there is full transparency.
When a ceasefire is made, who knows what will happen, what exercises will be done to us. Still, everyone – members of the security establishment and the political echelon – is determined to continue, even if it takes ten days
"Look at what's happening in the army's maneuvers inside Gaza. There were dark and harsh prophecies, and thank God it is being conducted in the most professional way. It's true that we pay victims every day, and everyone is a whole world, but this is not the catastrophe they predicted and everything is done professionally and responsibly."
The price per transaction – very low
What is your position on the abductees' outline?
"I am glad that my colleagues in the government heard, delved deeper and decided by an absolute majority to approve the outline. I ask my fellow ministers and MKs not to comment on matters related to the law of souls without knowing the details."
Are you talking about Religious Zionism, which announced that it would not support the outline?
"This week it was a school for that. How much should you not express an opinion before you learn the details."
Minister of Finance and Chairman of Religious Zionism Bezalel Smotrich. Tirza at the end (archive), photo: Jonathan Zindelflash90
You mean Smotrich and Ben-Gvir?
"They are decent people, they thought before the meeting that the agreement was not good. But when they came to the meeting, delved deeper, studied the details, asked questions and got answers - they understood that this was a different agreement than they thought. I have been accompanying the security establishment for many years and I tell you with certainty: We have never made such a good deal as now."
Releasing terrorists who tried to murder, stopping the army's momentum - is that a good price?
"Of course. The price we pay for every child and woman we receive in the coming days is very low. We have prisoners who committed a serious murder, now we have terrorists we took prisoner, and yet we are not releasing anyone who was tried for murder."
There are freedmen who wounded, tried to kill and simply did not succeed. They are murderers.
"Still, compared to the price of saving lives, it's a low price. There's nothing you can do, you pay in every prisoner deal, and we've seen in the past that we've had to pay with damned killers. So we pay with people who didn't murder in exchange for women and children, for God's sake. Can such a deal be postponed?! A month ago we never dreamed of such a deal, we thought they would be killed, that there was no one to talk to. It's a very good deal.
Andrew. Relying on G-d and the Army, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"We paid low prices thanks to the military maneuver that put tremendous pressure on Hamas. They never imagined that they would be hit so hard. They didn't believe we would enter Shifa, and this is not the end. We will also enter Khan Yunis. This puts them under tremendous pressure. Unfortunately, we still can't bring news to all the families. We can say that we succeeded in the mission when everyone returns, but if there is a chance to free 50 women and children, then of course. And in my estimation, this is not the final number, I think it will expand to a few more and we will be able to continue for a few more days in order to receive more abductees. True, we still have limitations on the ground, but Sinwar is in a bunker deep in the ground, he no longer has control or command over what happens in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar and his friends do not control the Gaza Strip today."
The great fear of opponents of the plan is that it will lead to a cessation of hostilities.
"I understand that concern. When a ceasefire is made, who knows what will happen, what exercises will be done to us. And yet I tell you – all of us, members of the security establishment and the political echelon, are determined to continue. Even if it takes ten days, we will continue. I have no problem stopping for ten days if I get ten kidnapped every day. But don't worry, no one is limiting us, we won't give in to anyone's pressure."
What is happening in the north? Is there enough power for two fronts?
"Everything needs to be focused on the south so we don't have to do another round. We are not abandoning the north, we are engaged in a very strong defensive operation in the north, and this is not only defense. Whoever follows sees that for everything Hezbollah does, it gets ten times more.
Sinwar and Haniya. "Not one of them will be saved from this story," Photo: None
"It's hard to say Nasrallah is stupid, he sees very well what we're doing in Gaza. He must be imagining what would happen if we extended the offensive northward. I promise the residents of the north that we will bring them home safely."
At the end of this operation, Yahya Sinwar died?
"Why at the end of the operation? Why are you pessimistic? It will happen, God willing. We hit many murderers, from their political leadership to the brigade commanders and battalion commanders. There is not one of them who will be saved from this story. Everyone from Hamas is mortal, it's only a matter of time."
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