New Right party chairman Naftali Bennett said he wants to take over the defense portfolio in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s next coalition government, declaring that he offers solutions for stabilizing the precarious security situation in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking on Wednesday at the Ma’ariv Security Conference in Tel Aviv, Bennett attacked the top echelons of the security apparatus and criticized the Netanyahu government’s policy in Gaza since the 2014 Operation Protective Edge saying the situation in Gaza today is unacceptable, and Israel must defeat Hamas once and for all.
Defense Minister wannabe Bennett called his plan for dealing with the Hamas threat in the Gaza Strip operation “Burning the Chametz,” which his press release explained was a reference to “the removal of unleavened goods carried out ahead of the upcoming festival of Passover.”
History buffs should note that the an IDF operation carried out from October 15–22, 1948, in the Negev Desert, was named Operation Ten Plagues, a name that was later changed to Operation Yo’av. Clearly, Passover has inspired many Israeli military thinkers…
Speaking of his intention to pursue the Defense portfolio come coalition negotiations time, Bennett said, “For my first move as Minister of Defense – I would cancel the order forbidding soldiers to shoot at terrorists who are armed with explosives.”
He outlined his plan for the IDF under his rule as follows:
1. No soldier need enter Gaza on the ground.
2. Maintained aerial attacks on Hamas and the elimination of their rocket capabilities.
3. Temporary evacuation of the Jewish communities around the Gaza Strip until the conclusion of the operation.
4. Targeted assassinations of all Hamas commanders.
5. The designation of all civilian infrastructure used for terrorist activity as a legitimate enemy targets.
6. The goal of the operation is to demilitarize and preserve the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
The nothing if not ambitious future defense minister said, “With regard to Gaza, there is something that can be done. I don’t accept this lack of an answer. In Gaza, it is possible to uproot Hamas. I repeat, this is not a ‘1, 2, 3 and we’re done’ solution, this is not a 48-hour job. It is a process which will take a number of months.”
Meanwhile, also on Wednesday, Bennett declared that he might choose the finance portfolio over defense, so, like, who knows, right?
