JPOST
Smotrich demands IDF return to fighting after first phase of deal
Eliav Breuer
January 16, 2025

The Religious Zionist Party will leave the government if it does not receive assurances that the IDF will resume its military operations in Gaza, the party announced on Thursday following a meeting in Jerusalem. The party said in a statement, “Alongside the longing for the return of all of our hostages, the Religious Zionist Party forcefully opposes a deal. The party stands behind the demand of party leader [Finance] Minister Bezalel Smotrich from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to ensure Israel’s return to war to destroy Hamas and return all hostages, while changing the approach to decisive victory, immediately at the end of the first stage of the deal, and this as a condition to the party’s remaining in the government and coalition.” READ MORE

FUTURE OF JEWISH ‘Human rights are dirt’ I read the terms of the ceasefire to a friend who doesn’t follow the news so closely. “Hamas will release three hostages on the first day, then four more on day seven,” I told her. “Israel will free 30 prisoners for each civilian hostage and 50 for each female soldier, and finally there will be an influx of aid to Gaza.” “That’s crazy,” she said as she wrinkled her nose. “What kind of person would even think something like that up?” That’s my view exactly. This agreement makes it painfully obvious that we live in a world in which human rights are dirt. Innocent people should not be kidnapped from a music festival and held captive in tunnels for barter, but that is exactly what world governments have allowed Hamas to do and are in fact now even praising.