The death of 12 children in the Druze village of Majdal Shams due to a Hezbollah rocket explosion on a soccer field was one of the most tragic events of the war. The News of Israel asked MK Hamad Amar (from the Yisrael Beiteinu party) to comment on the tragedy and its possible consequences.
MK Amar, you spent the entire day in Majdal Shams. Can you tell us what you saw there?
I have been in Majdal Shams since yesterday, meeting with the families of the victims and seeing fathers who lost daughters and mothers who lost sons. It's very, very difficult. It's hard to see the pain. I don't think you need to be a Druze or a resident of Majdal Shams to feel the pain of these people.
Do you know the affected families personally?
Some of them – sure. I know most members of the Druze community.
What did you hear from them today?
You know, when a mother buries her son, she can hardly say anything. I arrived in Majdal Shams two hours after the explosion, and I wouldn't wish anyone to see what I saw. I went with the families to where the bodies were identified. I have seen many brutal scenes in my life, but to see children who died like this... It's terrible.
We heard voices of outrage from the relatives of the victims. Who is their anger directed at? At Hezbollah or the Israeli government, which didn't protect them?
Hezbollah fired the rocket. Hezbollah killed our children. This is a terrorist organization that sows death and must pay for what it has done. The outrage is directed at them.
What do you mean?
The Israeli government has not only abandoned the residents of the north to fend for themselves; it has essentially forsaken the north.
Forsaken?
Of course. Look at what is happening there. Hezbollah freely shells our territory. Soldiers and civilians are dying. And where is the government? It must treat every part of the country's territory as its heart. It must respond harshly to any infringement on the country's sovereign territory. Terrorists can freely shell Galilee and the Golan Heights. Are we just sitting with our arms folded and only responding? This is what it means to abandon the north.
There are significant IDF forces concentrated in the north, engaging in intensive combat, eliminating Hezbollah militants almost every day.
The IDF eliminates Hezbollah militants – and that's great, but apparently, it's not enough. Unhindered shelling of our territory continues despite all the army's efforts. And I have no complaints about the IDF. They have enough forces and means to accomplish any task. The problem is that they are not given the task.
Let's be specific. What task should the political leadership assign to the army, in your view?
I will not publicly give advice to the Prime Minister, the army, or the security cabinet. I will say only one thing: the tactic of limiting ourselves to retaliatory measures leads to the loss of the deterrence factor. Without the deterrence factor, you can't live in the Middle East. The Middle East has its formula, its codes, and its concepts. This is not Europe, this is not America. Here, you must act based on strength—only on strength.
When people shouted at the funerals and elsewhere, "Why is Beirut still standing?" is this a demand for a deterrence factor?
We are at war with the terrorist organization Hezbollah. However, it operates from the territory of a sovereign state called Lebanon. And we need to stop responding to Hezbollah and start responding to Lebanon. Unfortunately, this is a conceptual change that neither the government nor its head has understood.
In other words, exact a price from Lebanon, not Hezbollah?
Every Lebanese person must understand that Hezbollah's actions condemn them to misfortune. Every Lebanese resident must know that when Hezbollah commits acts of terror, the whole of Lebanon will have to answer.
But this approach has a price, Mr. Amar.
Everything in life has a price. Life in the Middle East has a price. As a representative of the Druze community, I tell you that I am ready to pay the price. But if the state is not ready to pay the price, there will be neither peace nor security. Sometimes, you must pay the price of war to live in safety. This is a war imposed on us, which we cannot avoid. Hezbollah must be pushed back from the border by any means. If it remains on the border, the massacre of October 7 will seem insignificant compared to what will happen in the north. I tell you with full responsibility: my main fear is another October 7 in the north. Hezbollah is stronger than Hamas, better armed than Hamas, and better prepared than Hamas. October 7 in the south is 5% of what could happen in the north. And then we will again say that we didn't know, that intelligence failed, and so on. I tell you with full responsibility: Hezbollah is preparing for such a scenario today. Nasrallah doesn't even think about moving away from the border and leaving us alone.
Do you think there is no chance to push Hezbollah back from the border except by military means?
I don't believe that Hezbollah will move away from the border without a powerful strike that every Lebanese person will feel.
Let's talk about the Druze community. How have they endured these almost ten months of war?
First of all, I want to say that the blow was inflicted on the entire state of Israel, not just the Druze community. Children are children everywhere. When children die as a result of a terrorist organization's actions, it concerns not just the Druze community. The Israeli government should protect us. It failed to protect us because its actions regarding Hezbollah are disastrous and mistaken. What happened in Majdal Shams should cause pain to all citizens of the country, not just the Druze.
Still, let's talk about the Druze community.
The Druze community has lost 11 soldiers since the beginning of the war. Almost a month ago, one person died from a strike from Lebanese territory and then this terrible tragedy in Majdal Shams. It's not just 12 deaths; there are also wounded, some of them seriously. I visited them in hospitals today. Some are in severe condition. So, these ten months have been a very tough trial for the Druze community. But we are part of the state of Israel, and what happens to us should concern the entire state of Israel and the situation in the Druze community cannot be viewed separately from what is happening in the country as a whole.
We often hear claims that Druze villages are not protected. Is that true?
70% of the residents of Druze villages in the north are not protected, and only 30% of the villages have proper protection. I spoke with school principals in Majdal Shams and Hurfeish. They don't even have time to reach shelters. Schools and residential buildings are not protected, and there are no public shelters. The situation is very serious.
Is someone addressing this? Is it being resolved? It has already been ten months, and the war apparently is not ending soon.
I want to remind you that when Liberman was Minister of Defense, he approved the Northern Defense project. Then, the government canceled it. He then re-approved it as Finance Minister, but the government canceled it again. Judge for yourself what this says. The government abandoned the north to fend for itself and essentially forsook it.
What happened in Majdal Shams? The alarm sounded, but the children didn't have time to reach the shelter?
The alarm sounded, but unfortunately, from the moment the alarm went off until the rocket fell, only a few seconds passed. The missile exploded five meters from the shelter where the children were running to. Unfortunately, they didn't make it. That's how this terrible tragedy happened.
Is the Druze community planning to make any demands? What is needed most right now?
The community is in mourning; we are experiencing days of terrible pain and tragedy. I don't want to link this tragedy to any demands. This is not a tragedy of the Druze community; it's a tragedy of the entire state of Israel. Therefore, our first and foremost demand is the guarantee of security for all citizens of Israel. A government that cannot protect its citizens has no right to exist.
And the conclusion? Elections?
A Prime Minister who respects himself would have resigned after October 7. A Prime Minister who respects himself would have taken responsibility for what happened recently and resigned as well.
And another Prime Minister will come. What should he do first and foremost?
First of all, he should push Hezbollah at least 40 km away from the border with Israel. Then, the concept needs to change: shooting from Lebanese territory should result in a strike on Lebanon. Every resident of Beirut should know that Hezbollah is responsible for their suffering due to Israeli retaliatory actions. It can't be that we bury children, and in Beirut, they live an everyday life as if nothing happened.
And you persistently refuse to talk about what is needed for the Druze community.
I am talking about what is needed for the entire state of Israel. I don't want to sound like someone trying to get something for himself or his community during these difficult hours. The state and the government must ensure the safety of all northern residents, including the Druze. Seventy thousand northern residents have become refugees; children live in fear and suffer very serious trauma. I want my government to ensure my safety in my own country. This is my most basic demand. If the government cannot fulfill it – such a government has no right to exist.
You mentioned refugees. They won't return to their homes unless Hezbollah is pushed back from the border?
The Druze didn't leave their homes and won't leave their homes. The Druze don't evacuate, don't flee. We never leave our homes and our land. We have proven this repeatedly. We will continue to fight for our land, our homes, and the safety of our children. We live in the strongest state in the Middle East, a state with the strongest army in the Middle East. This army can ensure safety if those who make decisions give it the opportunity.
The interview was conducted by Gabi Wolfson on July 28.
