Finance Minister Smotrich comes under fire for saying destroying Hamas is more important than freeing hostages

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich once again courted controversy and sharp criticism on Monday by suggesting that the destruction of the Hamas terrorist organization is a higher priority in the Gaza war than securing the return of Israeli hostages.

Smotrich came under fire not just from hostage families, Yair Golan – leader of The Democrats – and the hawkish Avigdor Liberman, who represents the opposition, but also from Moshe Gafni, a senior ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) coalition Member of Knesset.

During a Monday morning radio interview with Galey Israel, Smotrich said, “We need to tell the truth: returning the hostages is not the most important goal, [but] it is of course a very, very, very important goal.”

“Whoever wants to destroy Hamas and neutralize the possibility of another October 7, needs to understand that there can be no situation in Gaza where Hamas will remain present and exist,” said the leader of the Religious Zionism party.

“Let's make a decision to end Gaza once and for all, let's create trust with the people and prove that we are achieving the goal and destroying Hamas,” he added.

“The families have no words this morning except shame,” the Hostage Families Forum swiftly replied in a statement.

“The minister is at least revealing the hard truth to the public, this government has deliberately decided to give up on the hostages. Smotrich – history will remember how you hardened your heart to your brothers and sisters in captivity and chose not to save them.”

Galia David, whose son Evyatar is still held captive in Gaza, stated, “Smotrich forgot that among the Jewish people, compassion comes first – and among Hamas, it’s vengeance. He speaks first about vengeance and has forgotten compassion.”

Gafni, leader of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, compared Smotrich to an extremist, violent group from the Second Temple Period, who used to murder Jews who collaborated with the Romans.

“The return of the hostages is the most important issue. These statements are comparable to the Sicarii in the time of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, for whom the national cause was more important than human life. And the great Torah sages meant nothing to them, they could always say, ‘We have our own rabbis.’ This is what Smotrich’s statement looks like,” Gafni said.

Smotrich quickly hit back, revealing the stark differences between the Haredi parties and national-religious settler ideology.

“[Only] one who still lives with a diaspora mindset and feels that the State of Israel is not the realization of the return to Zion and the ingathering of exiles, is even capable of imagining a comparison between the current reality and the period of the destruction of the Second Temple.”

Smotrich added that Gafni represents a shrinking minority within the Haredi society, “which for the most part is moving rapidly closer to the State of Israel.”

“Victory over Hamas is intended to protect human life,” Smotrich said, adding that “nothing endangers human life more… than capitulation to a murderous terrorist organization, leaving it in power, armed, in Gaza.”

Far-left leader Yair Golan accused Smotrich of “offering the hostages as human sacrifices on the altar of messianic delusions.”

“Fifty-nine hostages are being held in captivity, starved and tortured – and the finance minister is willing to let them die for his annexation fantasies. This is not Zionism. This is abandonment. Smotrich is the true face of Netanyahu’s government – a government where neglect and sacrificing lives is not a failure, but a policy.”

Liberman, a former defense minister, ridiculed Smotrich's understanding of Hamas, noting that Smotrich previously considered the group “an asset” until Oct. 7, 2023.

“Anyone who was so wrong then should keep quiet now. The return of all the hostages is not a matter for debate – it is a moral and national obligation,” Liberman said.