National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Sunday told Kol Ba’Rama radio he favored occupying territories in the Gaza Strip and encouraging the voluntary migration of thousands of Gazan residents.
“I am in favor of occupying territories in Gaza, especially after October 7,” Ben Gvir said, adding, “Encouraging voluntary immigration and taking territories is the most important thing right now. I am seriously considering moving my family to the Gaza Strip. It is definitely an option that is on the table.”
According to Ben Gvir, “When there were residents in Gush Katif, there were no missiles fired on Beer Sheva and Ashkelon. For me, the ‘day after’ in Gaza includes Jewish settlement. Voluntary immigration of Gaza residents should be encouraged.”
עידוד הגירה והתיישבות יהודית בעזה – זה בידינו! pic.twitter.com/9LKXlL369W
— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) October 21, 2024
Speaking on Army Radio, Ben Gvir expressed his strong opposition to deals that include the release of terrorist prisoners, calling it “a reckless deal.” He said that releasing prisoners of this type would seriously harm Israel’s security.
“I am a minister in the Israeli government,” he said. “I believe that a reckless deal that would release a thousand Sinwars would be a serious blow to the State of Israel. Stop deceiving the public, it’s not even on the agenda for Hamas. The deal they are talking about now doesn’t release all the hostages. To bring all the hostages, you have to stop the war completely and secondly, release a thousand Sinwars.”
Asked if his resistance to a hostage deal that includes releasing a thousand Sinwars would not force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire him, Ben Gvir responded, “I am not ready for the deal that is currently being offered. The conditions that are currently being discussed are irrelevant to me – and the Prime Minister really does not want Otzma Yehudit to leave the government.”
Ben Gvir reiterated his intentions regarding the policy in Gaza, saying, “Ideas like settling in Gaza are welcome. The only times we have defeated our enemies were when we took territory away from them. But that doesn’t satisfy me – I also want to encourage immigration, to have them migrate voluntarily to their countries, and you know what? I am working hard with the Prime Minister to promote encouraging immigration from Gaza – and I am beginning to discover a certain openness in him to this matter.”
As for the question of whether the Prime Minister himself supports the transfer of Arabs from Gaza, Ben Gvir replied: “I say that he is showing openness to what he previously opposed and I think the time is ripe to do something like this.”
He went on to say about the Prime Minister: “Fortunately, in recent months he has been listening to me much more than before, by the way, it pays off for him and he tells me this in personal conversations.”
“We have a historic opportunity to bring peace for decades,” Ben Gvir concluded. “We have a historic opportunity to collapse Hamas. We have a historic opportunity to restore deterrence, reoccupy the Gaza Strip, and re-encourage voluntary immigration of Israel’s enemies. This is what will bring peace to the south.”
