Bibi Hits at Ben Gvir and UNRWA at Government Meeting

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu obliquely criticized National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir for his critique of US President Joe Biden in his opening remarks to the government meeting today (Sunday).

In referencing the decisions that need to be made when agreeing to allies' demands while insisting on the country's vital interests, Netanyahu said "And there are those who say 'No' to everything. While they are applauded at home, they also endanger vital interests," a clear reference to people like Ben Gvir who take the hardest line and never deviate from it.

The Prime Minister advised instead that "wisdom is knowing how to navigate – to say 'Yes' when it is possible and to say 'No' when it is necessary."

In addition to reiterating his commitment to eliminating Hamas' capability to wage war or govern and to return the hostages, Netanyahu repeated his insistence that "UNRWA is not part of the solution, it is part of the problem. The time has come to begin the process of replacing UNRWA with other bodies that are not tainted by support for terrorism."