Israel asserts moral clarity: terror defeated, hostages returned, internal security restored, economy strengthened despite regional hostility.
Religious Zionism chairman and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich opened his party’s faction meeting Monday with an uncompromising message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ahead of Netanyahu’s upcoming meeting with Donald Trump.
Smotrich declared that Israel cannot move forward—politically or militarily—while Hamas remains intact and while the body of fallen Israeli Ran Givli has not been returned. He stressed that the atrocities committed on October 7 represent the gravest assault on Jews since the Holocaust and insisted there can be “no real ceasefire and no real security” until Hamas is fully dismantled and stripped of its ability to threaten Israeli citizens.
Addressing Netanyahu directly, Smotrich urged steadfastness, saying Israel must deliver the “complete victory” it promised—not only to secure borders but to send a generational message of deterrence. He emphasized national unity behind the prime minister and framed Israel’s campaign as a defensive necessity rooted in Jewish survival and sovereignty.
Turning inward, Smotrich warned of a severe domestic security challenge in the Negev, citing the proliferation of illegal weapons and explosives held by criminal and terror-linked networks. He argued that criminal activity can rapidly morph into nationalist violence, endangering civilians. He called on the police—after years of expanded budgets and tools—to decisively collect weapons, dismantle criminal infrastructure, and restore order, naming the Negev as a decisive test of governance.
On the economy, Smotrich asserted that Israel’s economy has proven resilient even during wartime. Acknowledging the burden of living costs, he pledged continued reforms to dismantle monopolies and entrenched interests. He highlighted concrete measures already underway: milk market reform, deposit reform, tax exemptions on personal imports up to $150, and a bank tax aimed at boosting competition and easing prices.
Smotrich concluded by vowing to pursue security, justice, and affordability simultaneously—arguing Israel can remain strong, safe, and economically fair despite relentless regional hostility.
