From an Extremist to Another: ‘Faith is Lost’

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Saturday he has lost confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war position on the Gaza Strip.

The far-right minister was referring to his objection to the “gradual plan” to fully occupy the enclave, as he favors an immediate and sweeping military operation coupled with Israeli settlement in Gaza according to Anadolu.

Smotrich, who advocates for the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza alongside its settlement, said in a video on X: “In the last cabinet meeting (early Friday), I lost faith that the Prime Minister can and wants to lead the Israeli army to decisive victory.”

The Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “gradual plan” to fully occupy Gaza and displace Palestinians from the north to the south, a move that has faced opposition from Israeli security leaders due to the danger it poses to the lives of captives that Hamas is holding as leverage, and Israeli soldiers.

Downplaying the plan, Smotrich added: “Netanyahu and the cabinet decided to carry out a military operation whose goal is not victory, but to pressure Hamas for a partial prisoner deal.”

The far-right minister urged Netanyahu to “convene the cabinet again and announce unequivocally that there will be no stopping halfway, no partial deal — this time we go for a decisive, clear step toward victory.”

Smotrich has consistently opposed calls to limit Israeli action in Gaza to airstrikes, insisting on continuing the war until Palestinians are displaced for the purpose of settlement.

Israel has faced mounting outrage for its deadly war on Gaza, where more than 61,300 victims have been killed since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.