Peloni: The return of the Jewish presence linked to facilitated emigration is how peace in Gaza can be achieved. Same is true for Judea and Samaria.
Finance Minister urges decisive action, permanent security control, and rebuilding Jewish communities in the coastal enclave.
Israfan | Jan 20, 2025
In a powerful and uncompromising address, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Israel to take full responsibility for Gaza’s future by restoring Jewish communities and ensuring permanent Israeli control of the territory. Speaking Monday at the inauguration ceremony of the new community of Yatziv in Gush Etzion, Smotrich framed the moment as a historic crossroads for the nation and a test of leadership.
“It’s either us or them full Israeli control, the destruction of Hamas, and permanent Israeli settlement,” Smotrich declared. He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to hesitate, warning that half-measures would only invite future danger and instability.
Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry overseeing civilian affairs in Judea and Samaria, sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Gaza plan, saying it was “bad for the State of Israel” and should be canceled. In his view, any framework that leaves Hamas or its supporters with influence over Gaza undermines Israel’s security and sacrifices the sacrifices already made by Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The Religious Zionism Party leader also condemned the growing role of regional actors he considers hostile to Israel. He compared Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and said bluntly, “Qatar is Hamas there’s no difference.” Smotrich argued that allowing these countries to shape Gaza’s future would amount to replacing one threat with another.
He went further, calling for the dismantling of the joint command center established by the U.S. military’s Central Command in Kiryat Gat and the removal of representatives from countries he said undermine Israel’s security, including Egypt and Britain. According to Smotrich, Israel must maintain complete freedom of action and decision-making when it comes to its borders and defense.
Outlining his proposed path forward, Smotrich said Israel should issue Hamas a short ultimatum to disarm and leave Gaza. If the ultimatum expires, he called for a full military operation to dismantle Hamas both militarily and administratively, open the Rafah crossing regardless of Egyptian consent, and enable Gaza residents who wish to leave to seek a future elsewhere.
“This was the simple, self-evident position of the overwhelming majority of Israelis in the days after the massacre that began this war,” Smotrich said. “I’m sure it still reflects the majority view of Israelis who have awakened from the illusion and realized that the only way to guarantee our security, with God’s help, is to take responsibility not run from it.”
He concluded with a symbolic vision of the future. “God willing, we will soon meet at a similar ceremony in the Gaza Strip,” Smotrich said, expressing hope that Netanyahu himself would lead such a moment, signaling renewed Jewish life and national confidence.
Smotrich’s remarks come amid a broader debate over the composition of the newly announced Gaza Executive Board, a body linked to Trump’s wider Board of Peace initiative. The Executive Board includes representatives from Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, a structure that Israel’s leadership says was not coordinated with Jerusalem and contradicts Israeli policy.
Netanyahu’s office issued a statement rejecting the arrangement, emphasizing that countries seen as supporting or enabling Hamas should not be granted influence over Gaza’s future. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was instructed to raise the issue with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio.
Several senior Israeli figures echoed Smotrich’s concerns. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir voiced support for Netanyahu’s stance and called for renewed military preparedness to ensure Hamas’s defeat. Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli warned that Turkish involvement on Israel’s southern border is unacceptable, describing Ankara’s leadership as aligned with Hamas ideologically and politically.
The controversy intensified after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, now listed among the Executive Board members, previously praised slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, referring to him as a symbol of Palestinian resistance. For many in Israel, such statements reinforce fears that the proposed governance framework could legitimize or indirectly empower hostile actors.
Smotrich stressed that Israel’s soldiers did not risk their lives only to see Gaza handed to countries that have supported or excused terror. “Our brave fighters did not sacrifice so much just to swap one problem for another,” he said, adding that Israel must insist on shaping Gaza’s future even if it means managing disagreements with close allies.
At the heart of Smotrich’s message is a clear vision of responsibility, sovereignty, and long-term security. He argues that restoring a Jewish presence in Gaza is not merely ideological, but a strategic step toward preventing future attacks and ensuring stability for generations of Israelis.
As Israel continues to navigate complex diplomatic pressures and regional challenges, voices like Smotrich’s reflect a growing call within the public for clarity, strength, and national confidence in shaping the country’s destiny.
Good for Smotrich!
Israel is the only Western nation with significant boots on the ground in Gaza, and the only one having a strong and legitimate claim to sovereignty over Gaza..
Accordingly, Israel should assume primary responsibility for maintaining security control and deciding Gaza’s future, with the US asserting influence only in an advisory role to Israel!
Smotrich is correct!!
Smotrich does have a couple of ideas worth considering but the impression is that they need to be thought through to reach workable solutions.
Saying the Qatar equals Hamas is obviously inaccurate. If he were to say that Hamas is the Qatari’s toy to play with, that would be much closer to the truth. The Qataris incite Hamas to murder Israelis and Jews wherever they can be found. Looking at this objectively, they have no reason to do that and certainly no advantage. On the other hand, as long as the US armed forces have limited use an airfield in Qatar, the Qataris feel protected on one hand and in charge on the other. Essentially, the same is true of Saudi Arabia. As long as they have money to burn, they are attractive for countries like the USA.
Taking over the Gaza Strip and allowing the Jews who were forced out to return sounds great as long as the strip is properly policed. The same is true of Judea and Samaria. Opening the Rafah crossing without some kind of agreement with the Egyptians will not get us anywhere. The Gazans will be returned to the Strip immediately and the only change will be to incite them even more. Once more we see elements of the game the Egyptians are playing, similar in intent to the Qatari games, but with the intention to improve their GDP at the same time.
As far as Smotrich’s remarks are concerned, it is unlikely that everything to do with this Board of Peace initiative passed by Netanyahu without any agreement. The impression is that the protest being aired is for show rather than any meaningful attempt to introduce changes. Those senior Israeli figures who echoed Smotrich’s concerns may simply not be in the know.
I fully agree with the statement that Israeli soldiers did not risk their lives to give away everything that was accomplished to foreign actors with no stake in the issue.
Transparency would be good right now to calm everyone’s nerves, but that would provide the opportunity for lots of useless noise regarding how to proceed while throwing out the baby with its bathwater.
“Make Gaza Jewish, again.” “Gaza should be as Jewish as Telaviv.”
Jews should never have left Gaza. G-d showed what He thought of Sharon’s enforced deportation of the Jewish residents by actually smiting him down – a very Biblical response! Now it’s time for Jews to return to Gaza and hopefully to rule over every corner of this area so that nothing like Hamas can ever plague them again. It will take a lot of defiance and courage, but Israelis have never been short of those virtues!
I’ve alway admired Smotrich. He’s honest, straightforward and one of the few politicians who has his head screwed on properly. Gaza belongs to Israel and must be Jewish. Just like all of Israel and all of the territories.
The muslims have proved very clearly who they are. Our enemies. And although there are some decent muslims, they have proved also very clearly that they are not capable of reigning in their dangerous brothers. Therefore they must all leave asap!
There is a problem with your decent Moslems. Unfortunately, they can be radicalized, especially by their Imams, so that a decent Moslem today can be a terrorist tomorrow.