Smotrich in heated debate with leftist presenter: "There is no concept of a 'Jewish terrorist'"'

August 18, 2022   

MK Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that he will not run together with the chairman of the Religious Zionist party, MK Bezalel Smotrich. Is this the right decision? Yinon Magal and Yariv Oppenheimer discussed this on 103fm with MK Bezalel Smotrich, who serves as the party chairman, who addressed the matter and the possibility that he will sit in the government together with the chairman of the State Camp, Benny Gantz. At the beginning of the conversation, Magal wondered if the separate run is final, while MK Smotrich replied: "I really hope not, I regret Itamar's decision, it is wrong and misguided. I hope we will succeed, there is still a month until the lists are closed. We should not be frightened by crises along the way, I hope that the decision should be reversed. I leave it to each of the listeners to draw their own conclusions, the right thing to do is to go together, the alternative of the Yair Lapid and the joint government is dangerous for the State of Israel in every aspect. For this, we need to follow a policy of zero risks and maximizing votes." "Maybe you'll bring more separately?" asked Yinon. The chairman of Religious Zionism, on the other hand, claimed that this was a huge gamble, and explained: "We've been in these places and I think it's a risk that shouldn't be taken. I'm conservative by nature in my political conduct as well. I prefer a safe bird in the hand to birds on a tree. The polls are far from representing reality. I think it's a big danger. I can bet on my private money, take risks in my personal life. I don't bet on the future of the State of Israel. Such gambles brought us to four election campaigns." As for the reason for the disagreement between him and MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, Smotrich admitted that "I don't think it's right to conduct this in the media. We're arguing. The debate isn't about location, it's about strategy and what our joint organization should look like. I'd rather we do it among ourselves and not in the media. If we don't succeed, there will be enough time to explain to everyone." "I don't think there's a single serious person who thinks that tomorrow Israel is going to mass deportation" He also referred to statements that MK Ben Gvir supports mass deportation of anyone who doesn't believe in his way: "I don't think there's a single serious person who thinks that tomorrow morning Israel is going to mass deportation. The State of Israel is facing a very great danger, nationalist extremism is growing in Arab society who identify with our enemies." "Thanks to people like you," Oppenheimer attacked, and MK Smotrich responded with fire: "There were those who claimed that the Jews were guilty throughout history of anti-Semitism against them. The Jews are also guilty of the Holocaust. I offer you a rival, in the end, what was here before we were here? Sand, swamps. We built a glorious country here, a progressive country, the Arabs who live in the country enjoy a quality of life that none of their family members have, and the kindness of those sections among the Jews of Israel that they want to cut off the hand that feeds them is unbearable and unacceptable." The MK was further furious at the presenter: "You're telling yourself a story. You're presenting it in a distorted way that anyone else important should be deported, of course not, and I don't think there's a serious person who thinks that tomorrow morning Israel is going to mass deportation, we're a democratic country. Families of terrorists? Yes, they should be deported. We're dealing with a terrorist threat that harms the security and sense of security of citizens. We need a much higher level of tools. I think that families of terrorists need to be deported." In light of his statements, Oppenheimer asked to understand whether he was also talking about Jewish terrorists. MK Smotrich emphasized: "There's no such thing. You know my position, not from yesterday. I don't make any concessions to anyone, and whoever takes a life, no matter for what reason, should be behind bars. The most immoral thing is what you're doing, which creates a locked and almost disgusting equation between an enemy and a brother. Every society has extreme side effects. The democratic system has enough tools, murder is murder and it is terrible and terrible, but there is still a difference in how a country conducts itself in the face of an enemy who wants to destroy it." "The Palestinian state that he wants to establish will also be a dictatorship without freedom of voting. All opponents of the regime will be thrown out. Look at the torture that is happening today in the PA, how they killed a journalist there who dared to criticize the regime. Is there freedom of expression? Freedom of religion? I want to say unequivocally - the Arabs today in Judea and Samaria have a thousand times more rights than in any other Arab country in the world," he declared. Smotrich to Oppenheimer: "The state that you want to establish will be less democratic." The argument between the two escalated, and Oppenheimer claimed: "You are ignorant and a people of the land." The Knesset member and chairman of the Religious Zionist Party could not help but respond, saying: "Most of them live in poverty and destitution. Are you talking to me about rights? Is there freedom of religion in Egypt? Tell me what you are talking about? Shall I remind you of singers and artists who were in prison there? What are you talking about? The state you want to establish for them will be much less democratic and have much fewer rights. The Gazans have decided? I definitely think that the right wing is not only more security-oriented, Jewish and Zionist, it is also a thousand times more concerned with human rights." Yinon Magal put an end to the debate between the presenter and the Knesset member, and asked to return to discussing the political situation. "Are you sure that after the elections you will be in a coalition?" he asked, and Smotrich shared: "I want to believe and hope that we will succeed in breaking through the 61st barrier. The public will not forgive if there is someone with the opportunity to establish a full-fledged right-wing government. We must not repeat what has happened so far. We must restore governance and sovereignty, eradicate crime, strengthen the Jewish identity of the country and strengthen the economy. All of this is done in a government that has a common denominator, that knows how to work and will realize the Jewish right-wing majority." Regarding the possibility of a meeting with Gantz, MK Smotrich attacked: "Benny Gantz is a leftist, it must be said. After more than ten years of the right and Netanyahu making Abu Mazen irrelevant, Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid came, brought him back to the forefront, and are paying him hundreds of millions. Benny Gantz is a leftist, a coalition is a practical body that must promote policy. Gantz opposes the amendments we want to make to the judicial system, he is restricting Jewish settlement." "We will all work hard and I hope Itamar will reverse his irresponsible decision to go it alone," he declared, and admitted: "There is a huge difference, the RPA is an enemy, a radical Islamic body that denies the existence of the State of Israel, I do not sit with enemies. With my brothers, I don't rule anyone out." "I will do everything so that the right wins" Following the MK's words, the presenters asked him to clarify his position regarding the joint meeting with Gantz. Smotrich summed up the issue: "Benny Gantz may be a good man and I can cooperate with him, but there are several core issues on which Israeli society is divided, and that is not done in a government with Gantz. I will do everything so that the right wins, that we have more than 61 seats and that we can be in a full right-wing government. There is no comparison between Ra'am and the joint one and Benny Gantz, who is a leftist.".