Smotrich calls on the Prime Minister to announce that unilateral measures will lead to the cancellation of the Oslo Accords and the dissolution of the PA/Knesset Channel
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said today (Tuesday) that the return of the abductees "is not the most important thing".
In an interview with the Channel 2 broadcasting corporation here, the minister said that according to him "Hamas must be destroyed, it is very important, but saying 'at any cost' is a problem. The abductees must be returned and pressure must be put on Hamas."
Smotrich responded to the storm he created on his account on the social network X, and made it clear that he meant that only with the help of destroying Hamas can we return the abductees.
"I was asked in an interview whether the return of the abductees is not the most important thing before destroying Hamas and winning the war," Smotrich said.
"My answer is clear: Only by destroying Hamas and winning the war will we return all the abductees. Those who call for a deal at any cost will bring about Israel's defeat in the war and also remove the chance of returning the abductees home."
"Statements of 'at all costs' are a problem."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich/Reuven Castro
"Smotrich's attack on the families of the abductees is a moral disgrace."
The families of the abductees protest in front of the Kariya/Niv Aharonson
Lapid responded that "without the return of the abductees, Israel will not win."
The families of the abductees at the protest tonight/Niv Aharonson
The head of the opposition, Yair Lapid, attacked the chairman of religious Zionism, saying that "Smotritz's attack on the families of the abductees is a moral disgrace, heartless people cannot continue to lead the State of Israel into the abyss.
" Israeli citizens were kidnapped, tortured and raped, and you are responsible for their fate," continued Lapid. "Without the return of the abductees, Israel will not win."
War Cabinet member Benny Gantz responded to Smotrich's words, claiming that the return of the abductees is the most important thing in the war. "The return of the abductees is not Only our highest goal in the war, is our moral imperative as a country and a people," said Gantz. "It is the most urgent thing.
We will not miss any opportunity to bring them home."
The minister claims that those who call for a deal at any price will lead to Israel's defeat in the war.
The families of the abductees at the demonstration/Niv Aharonson
The families of the abductees at a protest in Kirya, Tel Aviv/Niv Aharonson
This is not the first time that Smotrich speaks out against the return of the abductees.
In an interview that Smotrich gave last month to 103FM, he spoke out against the outline for the deal that was forged and said that "what will lead to a deal and the return of the most abductees is only if we transmit determination and the army continues to act as it is now with great intensity and deepen the pressure on Sinwar. Sinwar right now, in the mind His, on the horse."
"My opinion is known, and Netanyahu knows it very well. We are obliged to make a great effort to return the abductees - but we are obliged to realize the goal of the war forever, to destroy Hamas, to destroy the threat posed to the citizens of the State of Israel," the Minister of Finance said at the time.
"In no way surrender to the release of hundreds and thousands of terrorists, it endangers the existence of the State of Israel, endangers all the Jews of the world who may become legitimate targets for kidnapping."
More on the same topic:
Bezalel Smotrich
Yair Lapid
Benny Gantz
abducted
Gaza war
War of Iron Swords