Minister Bezalel Smotrich says that an absurd situation has been created whereby Israel will have to pay a higher price for peace in a deal to release hostages - than in the deal that preceded it.
In an interview with commentator Amit Segal at the 21st Jerusalem Conference, Smotrich wondered why Israel is transmitting pressure: "There are painful prices, including this morning, but our fighters are overall sleeping well and eating well. Our economy is, thank God, returning to function, recovering. In Hamas, a million and a half people live in squalid conditions in the winter, in the rain, in tents. The pressure there is increasing and somehow we are the ones who are stressed and they are sitting back and calm.
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""We're running it as crazy as possible," he attacked. "It's the first and second of negotiations: when you're eager, you'll pay more.".
He said: "There is something bizarre here. We have returned to fighting with all our might and the IDF is doing a really good job in Gaza. The previous deal was a deal with a reasonable key, one for every three terrorists for a kidnapped person and 10 kidnapped people for every day of respite. Logic dictates that the upcoming deal will be on even better terms, because we have crushed Hamas and Sinwar is now supposed to be sitting in his burrow with a consciousness of surrender and brokenness and give us our kidnapped people.".
""The situation where, after so many months of fighting, we are in a situation where we have to give up is unacceptable. On the one hand, we want to break the civilian dependence on Hamas, and on the other hand, we preserve their civilian capabilities. What needs to change is the discourse in the studios and on the street. I oppose a deal where the keys are bigger, the truce is bigger. It doesn't make sense.".
According to him, "The price is now unacceptable. We will not flood the streets with terrorists, we did it with Gilad Shalit and now we are paying the price. We really want to return the kidnapped, but it has to be done responsibly.".
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He emphasized: "The war has priorities - victory over Hamas and the absence of a threat from Gaza to Israel, and the return of the hostages. I think the contradiction between them is something that was created to advance goals. Sinwar doesn't want the hostages, not even to save Hamas' rule in Gaza, but to dismantle Israeli society. We are working to return the hostages and the best way to do that is to maximize military pressure, the worst way is to show how stressed you are and how willing you are to pay any price.".
The minister complained about the way the war is being presented in the media. "Those who open newspapers and television in the State of Israel think there is no chance of winning. I tell you - we will win in the south, in the north, there is nothing more important right now for the economy than victory, there will be no economy without victory and there will be no security without victory. This is an event, manage it correctly, don't panic too much, and with God's help we will do it and succeed.".
Regarding his comments on Channel 2 that caused a stir, the minister claimed: "I am one of the few who had the courage to say what the majority of the public thinks, and the attack is not against me but against the entire public that I represent. I said that the issue of the kidnapped is important but not the most important. Look at how much fire I received last week for saying the most logical and correct thing.".
He was asked how he influenced the government - and he replied: "I influenced the transfer of funds to the PA. We created a situation where the Americans guarantee that no money will be transferred to Gaza. This is work that is done slowly, quietly and thoroughly, without headlines and announcements. Before the war, we completed the most housing units. I believe in doing things quietly and without announcements. That when the time comes to evaluate - the public will do it.".
Minister Smotrich also addressed Minister Hili Tropper's remarks at the conference, regarding opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state. "I would be very happy if Benny Gantz would say this in his own voice. We passed a resolution opposing a Palestinian state and he opposed it, we changed it to mean that we oppose a unilateral resolution and everyone signed it. Benny Gantz hosted Abu Mazen at his home. He constantly pushed for a dialogue about the day after, what is the day after? Will the Palestinian Authority make reforms? I say in a clear voice, there is not and will not be another state from the sea to the Jordan, and no entity that supports terrorism.
""I would love to hear Benny Gantz say this in his own voice and not send in the troopers. That's true, we need to maintain unity and manage the disputes differently, we managed it in a matter-of-fact manner. We didn't threaten to disband the army, but we're also taking stock. Let no one get confused, there's a right and a left, and there are disputes and different opinions. I suggest not blurring the disputes and not being naive and thinking that everything is over.".
