Bezalel Smotrich: "We must go to war in Judea and Samaria"

Religious Zionism party chairman Bezalel Smotrich calls for launching a war in Judea and Samaria in an interview with ynet's podcast "120 VeAchat". He addresses the Chief of Staff's warnings about the volatility of the area, criticizes Ofer Winter for an "irresponsible" move, and opposes including Ra'am in the coalition. Smotrich takes collective responsibility for October 7 but claims Netanyahu made many mistakes.

Religious Zionism party chairman Bezalel Smotrich calls for launching a war in Judea and Samaria in an interview with ynet's podcast "120 VeAchat". He addresses the warnings of Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir about the volatility of the area and says: "I asked the Chief of Staff, are you looking for a scapegoat?" Smotrich sharply criticizes Ofer Winter, whom he calls "an officer with many merits," but claims he went for an "irresponsible move that gambles on Israel's security" and that 99.9% he will not pass the electoral threshold. He strongly opposes including Ra'am in the coalition, explaining that he wrote a doctorate on the Islamic Movement and the "Taqiyya" method. Smotrich takes collective responsibility for the October 7 disaster but claims that Prime Minister Netanyahu made many mistakes and he tried to minimize them. He calls for annexing at least up to the yellow line in Gaza and up to the Litani River in Lebanon, and notes that his two sons fought in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria and one was seriously wounded. The interview takes place about a month before the elections, with polls indicating a political constellation where neither side can form a coalition.

Bezalel Smotrich: "We must go to war in Judea and Samaria"