Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich rejected the idea of what he called a "surrender deal" that would "collapse the war's achievements" in a fiery speech at the Victory and Heroism Conference tonight (Wednesday).
Smotrich said that at a time when Hamas is more isolated than ever before "after Hezbollah and Iran threw it to the dogs," after its military is collapsing, with Donald Trump about to become President, this is the moment that Israel must now "throw it a line" to survive.
Smotrich said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot both offer a large reward and protection to civilians to help find the hostages while also negotiating with Hamas which is holding those same hostages.
Instead, Smotrich said that Israel must take civilian control of the Gaza Strip from Hamas and prevent humanitarian aid from reaching it.
He also told protestors who support a deal now that "we want to return the hostages no less than you" and that if Israel occupies Gaza "just like in Syria," the terrorists will "flee like rats" and agree to a "surrender agreement" leading to the freeing of all the hostages.
