Eli Cohen: "Trump's plan will be part of the negotiations for phase B"

Minister Eli Cohen came for an extensive interview at Srugim Studio today (Thursday) where he addressed all the burning issues on the agenda. Cohen revealed that Trump's plan will be part of the negotiations for phase B and declared: "I will demand the halt of humanitarian aid as early as this coming Sunday."

Against the backdrop of a difficult week in which four more hostages were returned deceased, and the Bibas family and Oded Lifshitz were laid to rest, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and member of the Security Cabinet Eli Cohen came to Srugim Studio and addressed a wide range of issues on the agenda.

Minister Cohen elaborated on the conditions that Israel will set for the negotiations on phase B of the deal and revealed that Trump's plan for the migration of Gaza residents will be part of the negotiations. In addition, the Security Cabinet member declared that he intends to demand in the Cabinet an immediate halt to humanitarian aid this coming Sunday, with the end of the 42 days of phase A of the deal.

We are in a difficult week in which the Bibas family and Oded Lifshitz, may their memory be blessed, who were murdered in Hamas captivity, were laid to rest. You decided to stop the release of 600 terrorists as part of the deal and now the four deceased have been returned. Is this what you tried to achieve or is there something else that Israel demands?

"The State of Israel has stopped turning a blind eye to Hamas violations. We saw it for the first time with Arbel Yehud who was not released, so there was another phase. We saw two weeks ago that Hamas said hostages would not be released on Saturday, in the end we saw a double phase. We also said there would be no ceremonies, and today the four deceased who were released, it was without ceremonies."

Cohen emphasizes: "We are at a different point, October 7 is a very difficult event, but I think we proved the strength of the people of Israel, we turned the tables. With the elimination of Sinwar, with the elimination of Nasrallah, with Assad who fled for his life. This war is of biblical proportions, which in the annals of history will be written about in years to come, how the State of Israel managed to stand with courage and bravery, and we still have challenges ahead."

Where do we go from here? Return to fighting or continue to phase B of the deal?

"First of all, we are looking at several fronts, the closer front is Gaza and the more distant fronts are Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. It's important to say that all the fronts we are operating in, Iran funded them in one way or another, so until we hit the head of the snake, there will be no stability in the Middle East, and it's important to say that Iran does not only threaten Israel, but the entire region, including the Muslim countries surrounding it."

"I am happy to hear the words of President Trump, his firm support for the State of Israel and the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. I think that after we come and exhaust the issue with Iran, it will have a very significant impact."

"We also needed to listen to the Prime Minister's speech at the end of the officers' course this week regarding Syria and our clearest statement that we will not allow the new regime to come and arm itself and build capabilities in proximity to Israel. We also have a watchful eye on Lebanon; we have not retreated to the Blue Line. From Judea and Samaria, we saw that a massive terrorist attack in Bat Yam was miraculously prevented. It's clear that we will launch a much more significant operation; the activity in Tulkarm and Jenin is just the first stage. We need to launch a more significant operation; Tulkarm needs to look like Khan Yunis."

Minister Eli Cohen continued and clarified what are the conditions that Israel will set in the negotiations for the continuation of the hostage deal: "Regarding Gaza, for phase B we have four conditions - 1. All hostages will be returned, 2. Hamas will not be in Gaza the day after in any way, 3. Demilitarization of the Strip, 4. Israeli security control in Gaza. These are the four things we insist on. We need to remember that we arrive at the end of phase A much stronger than on the eve of signing phase A since two days later President Trump entered, and this is certainly a very significant addition for Israel. This is reflected in international support, in the release of ammunition that arrived in the country. They see our determination to ensure that the hostages are returned and that Hamas will not be there."

Nevertheless, we have lost quite a few leverage points in phase A. How do you plan to bring back the hostages? Continue to phase B or return to fighting?

"The deal has heavy costs, but these are our brothers and sisters whom we are committed to bringing back. We are making the deal without harming the security of the State of Israel, so the demand that Israel stop the war is rejected outright. I want to remind that all the actions we took were also when there was international pressure from our friends, even when there were elements in Israel like Lapid and Gantz and others who said to stop the war. What drives us is to ensure that the hostages return and not to compromise on the security of the State of Israel."

"They did not appreciate the strength and cohesion of the State of Israel. I was Foreign Minister on October 7, and our center collapsed from thousands of Israelis who want to find the first plane, return to the country, and go out to fight. We have the generation of victory, a generation of fighters who continue the tradition of the Jewish people, and we are willing to continue with determination, and if we need to return to fighting, we will return to fighting."

There is criticism of the political echelon that you did not prepare a plan for the day after, alongside the IDF's powerful fighting in the Strip. What do you say to that?

"I heard all these mainly from the left as if they thought Gaza would turn into Switzerland, and I heard Lapid who presented a political plan that the Palestinian Authority would rule. The Palestinian Authority is part of the problem, not part of the solution. The Palestinian Authority encourages terrorism; it's the only place in the world that pays money to those who murder Jews, so it's certainly not the solution. The solution is to implement Trump's plan."

"What does President Trump say? What hasn't worked in the last few decades is likely not to work, in addition to that in other places in the world, there was evacuation and there were refugees from Syria, from Ukraine. Therefore, it's a moral solution for the State of Israel and against those who did 10/7. This plan tears the mask of hypocrisy from all those pro-Palestinian elements, none of whom are willing to absorb even a single Palestinian."

How do you in the Cabinet discuss the practicality of the plan? When will it be implemented? Because Hamas meanwhile continues to fire rockets at the surrounding communities.

"There was a discussion in the Cabinet and the decision was to adopt Trump's plan. The Cabinet's directive to the IDF is to prepare plans to implement it. This will of course be part of the negotiations that we will conduct towards phase B."

Your predecessor as Energy Minister said on October 11 that not a drop of fuel and water would enter until the last hostage returns. Unfortunately, since then large quantities of humanitarian aid, fuel, and water have entered, and there are still hostages in Gaza. Is there a possibility that you will now stop this?

"In my view, from this coming Sunday, the moment the 42 days of phase A end, the humanitarian aid should be stopped. This is the position I will present in the Cabinet. I will demand to stop the humanitarian aid in all its components."

Minister Smotrich demands to return to fighting, you're talking about stopping humanitarian aid. Could it be that next week Israel is already returning to fighting?

"The possibility is unequivocally on the table. The timing of when and how to return, we will determine according to all the different fronts we have. But we have committed, Hamas will not be there, we are determined to do so, and if we need to return, we will return. We are determined to continue the campaign as needed; we can be surprised, but we cannot be defeated."

You received criticism from the right for supporting this deal and its heavy prices. Tell us a bit about the decision to support the deal:

"The decision was definitely not simple, weighty. But this is what distinguishes us, the Jewish people, from Hamas. For us, every Jew is an entire world. This is what distinguishes us as a people, and therefore we definitely pay a price, but we did not agree to pay prices that would harm security. We look at the long term, and in the long term, Hamas will not be there."

The Cabinet member clarified: "We are prepared to deal with the released terrorists as well if there is a raising of heads, and we are determined and ready to return to fighting. The decision to release the hostages is what distinguishes us. Hamas terrorists cover their heads when they go out to the streets because they know we will settle accounts with each one. Anyone who has Jewish blood on their hands, their blood is on their head. Anyone who harmed the hostages, we will harm them."

You were Foreign Minister on October 7. What goes through your mind in the first moments when you discover the atrocities at 6:30 in the morning of that Saturday?

"I received a phone call from one of the representatives I know in the south, and I called Netanyahu's military secretary and told him 'there is a problem,' so he tells me - 'we are at war.' I think the first ministry to open the situation room was the Foreign Ministry, by 8 AM the ministry was already working. In this war, we changed the face of the Middle East, we brought the Shiite axis to its weakest point since 1979."

Before October 7, there were advanced contacts for a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia. Now, after President Trump's entry into the White House, could this happen?

"It can happen. It's in Saudi Arabia's interest, because it needs protection from Iran. It's important to clarify if we have to choose between peace with Saudi Arabia and its demand for the establishment of a Palestinian state, then I give up the agreement and oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state. Anyone who talks about it after 10/7 is not connected to reality. Judea and Samaria is our region and the bulletproof vest of Gush Dan, and therefore there will be no additional state between the Jordan and the sea. Peace can be reached with Saudi Arabia without establishing a Palestinian state. We have proven in the past that the agreement with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco, we managed to do without establishing a Palestinian state; first and foremost, the security of the State of Israel."

You spoke in the past about the need to establish a state commission of inquiry for the events of 10/7. Currently, in the government, you have postponed the decision on the matter. What do you plan to do with it?

"A commission of inquiry should be established, but the President of the Supreme Court cannot appoint it. When they say state commission of inquiry, they mean to say that it is appointed by someone who is acceptable to all parts of the people. It's no secret that the President of the Supreme Court is a controversial figure, so he cannot come and appoint."

"We want to investigate - the political echelon, the security echelon, and also the judicial system. I want a committee with all the powers like a state commission of inquiry that will come and check everyone and ensure that such a thing does not happen in the future. I say that we should not determine the committee, but three people who will head it should be determined and they will be apolitical people who are not identified with the right or the left, but people who will come and examine things accurately without any political connection."

When will it be established?

"The committee will be established when we can say that the war is behind us. We talked about the realistic possibility that we will return to fighting. We want now that IDF commanders and fighters will be busy preparing to return to war, preparing to act in Syria as needed, and not that they will have to equip themselves with lawyers for the commission of inquiry. The time will come for that, Israel's security comes first."

"Our Haredi brothers need to enlist, it's the order of the day after October 7, and what guides me is that the enlistment law will answer the security needs of the State of Israel. Our security challenges have only grown, we will need more presence on the borders, in settlements near the fence, and therefore our Haredi brothers also need to come under the stretcher."

The Likud minister clarified what he would change in the principles of the law that the Defense Minister is promoting: "I would make 2 amendments to Israel Katz's law. 1- I would shorten the time to reach 50% enlistment from 7 years to 3 years. 2- The sanctions should be identical for everyone, the sanctions on 'David from Holon' should be the same sanctions on 'Moshe from Bnei Brak'."

Meanwhile, the Haredi parties and the leaders of the Haredi public don't quite agree. Could the government fall on this issue?

"It's important that the government fulfills its days because we are in a historic period. We all have good memories from President Trump's first term, and now we see that he comes to the position even more aligned with the Israeli government, so bringing down the government is a mistake, and in the end, we need to see the central thing, which is the State of Israel."

"The enlistment law needs to be passed as early as possible. I hear that the Haredim agree, why don't I hear Deri and Gafni? I tell you that they understand that they need to be part of society; if they were opposed, they would say so. There will always be extremists here and there, but enlistment is definitely required."

Will you agree to reach compromises in the enlistment law to preserve the government?

"On the security of the State of Israel, there are no compromises. The outline I said is a proportionate outline that meets the security needs and gives a horizon to the yeshiva students. First of all, those whose Torah is not their only occupation must enlist immediately."

As Energy Minister, you presented an innovative reform in the electricity sector. How does it help the average citizen at home?

"I want to address the public at home, less than half a year since the start of the reform, more than a million Israelis have switched to another electricity company. I opened the market to competition, the monopoly was broken, and this causes the service to improve and, most importantly, the price to decrease. Always proud to break monopolies, to open the market. This is very important, there are discounts of between 5% and 20%, in a short conversation you save a lot of money."

You were Foreign Minister, you reached second place in the last Likud primaries. Where do you see yourself in the future? Is there a possibility that you will run for the leadership of the Likud?

"I don't rule out anything for the future. Every role I want to do the best there is. I see it as a great privilege to serve the people of Israel, to be a minister in the government of the Jewish people, and in every role I will act to do the best for the country."