Smotrich: "I Lost Faith in Netanyahu’s Willingness to Achieve Victory"
The Religious Zionism leader sharply criticizes the prime minister over Gaza strategy, urging a decisive offensive to crush Hamas and free all hostages at once.
Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich delivered an unusually sharp public rebuke of Prime Minister Netanyahu on Saturday night, declaring he has lost confidence in Netanyahu’s ability and willingness to lead the Israel Defense Forces to victory in Gaza.
Smotrich, who opposed the cabinet’s recent decision regarding the next phase of operations, stressed that he will not resign his post for now but called on Netanyahu to reverse course.
“Mr. Prime Minister, it is not too late to turn back,” Smotrich said. “Announce that there will be no more pauses in the middle. No partial deals. This time we are going for a clear and decisive move, either Hamas’s complete surrender and the return of all hostages at once, or its total destruction”.
He argued that the government should annex large parts of the Gaza Strip and open its gates for voluntary emigration. Smotrich criticized Netanyahu for what he described as maneuvering to secure a temporary deal with Hamas rather than pressing for outright victory.
“You cannot crush the enemy if you give him control over the brake pedal,” he warned in closed-door conversations.
The cabinet decision, which Smotrich opposed, reportedly did not include an explicit reference to a hostage deal but was understood to allow halting military operations if an agreement is reached. While senior security officials such as National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Mossad chief David Barnea also voiced objections to the move, their reasons differed from Smotrich’s.
Smotrich proposed a full military occupation of Gaza under martial law, a step beyond the expectations of most in the room. Others noted that the Israel Defense Forces’ chief of staff expressed concern that an aggressive push could endanger the hostages.
Smotrich’s remarks highlight a deepening split within the cabinet over how to balance military pressure, political realities, and the urgent goal of freeing more than 50 hostages still held by Hamas.