Minister of Education and member of the Political Security Cabinet Naftali Bennett (Habayit Hayehudi) on Monday attacked Israel’s policy at the Maariv conference of leaders in Jerusalem, saying the Defense Ministry’s policy of restraint vis-à-vis Hamas in Gaza must be stopped.
“The cat and mouse policy against Gazan terrorism is not working,” Bennett said. “Occasionally you need to go far to look for a solution. Today we are facing the heating up of the Gaza border, on a daily basis. Terrorists arrive, dismantle parts of the fence, enter, place explosive charges near our soldiers and return to Gaza safely. Every day, they launch terror balloons at the western Negev settlements, with incendiary devices, and endanger our residents.”
“The solution for the terrorism in Gaza is not to expand or reduce the fishing area, to allow or not allow diesel fuel in. It’s much simpler. A terrorist entering Israel does not return alive. that’s it. A terrorist who tries to harm Israeli citizens, to kill us, has to be killed. We don’t need to mess around with fishing areas, and to punish two million people for what a hundred people are doing. Instead of stopping fuel, and curbing fishing zones, you have to kill the terrorists,” Bennett said.
“We are facing a election, in two months more, two months less,” Bennett said. “I want to explain what its about. It’s awfully interesting. The next prime minister will be Netanyahu, there is no debate there. The only question is whether there will be a right-wing or center-left government. Those who decide are the coalition partners. The big battle is between Habayit Hayehudi, which will be pulling to the right in all areas, versus the center-left, which is Yisrael Beiteinu.”
“You can see it in the security policy – they say they are the defenders of the law. [Justice Minister Ayelet] Shaked has introduced enormous reforms, and [Finance Minister] Kahlon has had veto power over every structural reform. As with the passage of the [law empowering the Knesset to overrule Supreme Court annulment of its legislation],” Bennett said, concluding: “The question this election is whether you will vote rightwing and get leftwing, or you’ll get rightwing.”