Israel’s Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism) released a video address on Sunday responding to the day of demonstrations held on behalf of the hostages in Gaza, declaring that the effort had failed to paralyze the nation as its organizers had intended.
“Citizens of Israel, we are at the end of a day that began with bombastic declarations by left-wing organizations who wanted to organize a day of protests and stop the country. What happened in practice? Nothing. The State of Israel didn’t stop for a minute,” he stated.
Smotrich insisted that participation was minimal, saying, “A few thousand out of ten million Israeli citizens blocked roads across the country.”
The minister emphasized that the majority of Israelis stand firmly with the hostages and their loved ones but reject being exploited for political purposes. “The people of Israel express great solidarity with the hostages and their families, and are in no way willing to be a tool of the leftist protest which seeks to topple the right-wing government and cynically uses them.”
Turning his remarks directly to Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, Smotrich urged him to act decisively in Gaza. “It could be that lately you were a bit too spooked by the campaign against the war. You took the media and the feeling that the nation isn’t with you too seriously. You too saw together with the entire people of Israel. The people of Israel are with you, the people are with us, behind us in our demand for victory until the end.”
He pressed Netanyahu to move forward without hesitation, declaring: “Make the right decision, finally. Announce that there will be no more stopping the middle, that there will be no more partial deals. Order the IDF to charge into Gaza and the central camps and topple Hamas’s remaining military strongholds, to destroy it completely, and to bring back the hostages. Everyone, everyone, without stopping in the middle.”
Smotrich concluded by urging swift action that would lead to a decisive outcome. “Mr. Prime Minister, let us, together and with G-d’s help, bring total victory for the people of Israel before the winter. You also saw today that the people of Israel are with us in this unequivocal demand. Total victory in one blow.”
{Matzav.com}
