Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich spoke on Tuesday, February 20, with the hosts of the radio station KAN - Reshet "Bet" Ran Binyamini and Yigal Guetta, and one of the minister's phrases was instantly quoted by all Israeli media and received many angry reactions.
“The kidnapped people are not the most important thing,” said Bezalel Smotrich.
However, it's important to review the entire conversation before accusing Smotrich of being cynical and neglecting the lives of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas.
After the greeting, Bezalel Smotrich began: “I, with your permission”... “Let’s start with the question about the abducted,” the presenter interrupted him.
"Wait. With your permission, I began every interview these months with words of support and encouragement - and I am sure you will join me - support for our commanders, our fighters, conscripts, and reservists, and members of their families who show steadfastness and faith, self-sacrifice, and unity, which inspire us with great hope, and we are immensely grateful to them, we value them highly. And then I want to return to your monologue again: Yigal, I do not agree with your definition that we are “a state that is not going anywhere." A huge tragedy happened, but we discovered within ourselves the strengths that we had forgotten about, and we united, and forgive me for this expression - but now we are kicking Hamas's ass, we are doing it adamantly, and we are winning, and we are returning security of the State of Israel."
“Yes, but there is something that we have not yet returned - and these are 134 abducted,” the presenter interrupted Smotrich at the moment when the minister continued to speak.
“Now we’ll talk about it, you’re right, and we’ll talk about it,” replied Bezalel Smotrich.
“But this is the most important thing!” – the presenter interrupts again.
“No, this is not the most important thing,” replied the Minister of Finance.
"The kidnapped are not the most important thing?" – the presenter raised his voice.
Then, the presenter guided his interviewee to clarify his statement, which Smotrich struggled to deflect, steering the minister back to a topic that wasn't initially his concern - a move that had already resulted in the Finance Minister losing significant political ground.
"The hostages aren't the most important thing?" – asks the presenter. – “Why are you trying to organize a competition here: “what is more important?” – answered Bezalel Smotrich. “Everything is important! It is important to defeat and destroy Hamas, it is important...”
“One hundred and thirty-four Israeli men and women languishing in the Gaza tunnels—isn’t that the most important thing right now?” – the presenter interrupts again.
“Once again: this is very important,” Smotrich replies. “But you also have to understand that saying “at any cost” is irresponsible. We need to return the hostages, we have committed to do this and are working in this direction. And the only way to do this is to defeat Hamas.”
