I met Eyal Kaldon, the cousin of the survivor of the captivity, Ofer Kaldon, who was involved in the kidnapping deal about a week and a half ago, when he left the Religious Zionist faction room in the Knesset. Minutes later, loud shouts rang out from there.
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Eyal held a picture of his cousin Ofer, embraced by his children, and called out to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotritich: "It is not legitimate to abandon human life, look at this picture. This is the picture you tried to prevent. This is the absolute victory!"'
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The minister's response was: "This is about manipulation and populism." He elaborated by explaining that he and his party would not succumb to this "dangerous" populism. Smotrich emphasized: "Instead of attacking this government like fools - it's time for us to take all the feelings of anger and rage and the sense of revenge and direct them at the murderers in Hamas.".
Eyal couldn't hold back and screamed, and the security guards rushed him out of the room.
He was very upset. "I am the cousin of Ofer Calderon, who was released about a week and a half ago from the hellish tunnels of Gaza. From the Holocaust 2025. Friends," he said.
Did he tell you about things he went through? I asked.
He nodded. "The Holocaust he went through is unspeakable, something no human being should have to go through, especially in a year like this. We are not like 80 years ago, we have a country, a country that should protect us. And protect us.".
I heard you just now shouting in the 'religious Zionism' room...
""Yes, I told Mr. Smotrich there that with all due respect to the 'destruction of Hamas' and its elimination, which I am also interested in, I also want - there is something much more special, important and sacred, and that is the sanctity of life. Four children hugging their father after 484 days in which he went through a Holocaust, that is the victory, that is the positive thing there is.".
So he kicked you out because you screamed?
""I was kicked out because I disrupted his faction's progress. I don't care. I'm here to fight for 76 people who were abandoned and must end the hell they are going through even at these moments. Mr. Smotrich prioritizes the security of the state, which he removes responsibility from because of the release of 100 or 200 terrorists. I tell him: 'No, you will bring back everyone who is in hell now, in this holocaust, and you will be responsible as a minister in the Ministry of Defense for the security of the residents of the State of Israel and you will not run away from responsibility. And that is your job first and foremost, first of all, to get all the people who are in hell out there and then to make sure that the entire State of Israel, all the citizens of the State of Israel are safe.".
