Far Right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir pushed for Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayhu to intensify fighting in Lebanon following Hezbollah drone attacks on Monday and amid developments over a potential US-Iran deal, which could influence Israel’s ability to strike the terror group.
Earlier in the day, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also pushed for military action, saying that Israel “must put an end to the threat of Hezbollah’s explosive drones.”
“For every explosive drone, 10 buildings in Beirut should fall,” he added.
Ben-Gvir said that he was calling on Netanyahu to phone US President Donald Trump and “pound on the table.” He made the remarks at an Otzma Yehudit party press conference at the Knesset.
“Sirens, unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs], explosive drones, this reality must not be accepted, and it must not be normalized,” Ben-Gvir insisted, noting that Israel is already aware of how “it ends when we contain and adapt to a routine of terrorism.”
“I call on the prime minister: Pick up the phone, call Trump, go to him, and pound the table. Make it clear that the State of Israel is not willing to accept, not willing to contain.”
Ben-Gvir said that it was necessary to cut Lebanon’s electricity supply and occupy territory up to the Awali River and beyond, while also returning to “intensive warfare.”
Ben-Gvir: ‘Cut the electricity’
“We need to cut the electricity, turn off the switch, and make it clear to them: If there is terrorism, you will suffer the consequences.”
He also warned that if the Lebanese government does not control Hezbollah, then the area south of the Litani River “will become a security buffer zone for the State of Israel.”
“We must bring complete calm to the residents of the North. The security of northern residents is not on the negotiating table; it is part of the IDF’s operational activity.”
Ben-Gvir said that he trusted Netanyahu’s abilities to “stand up for Israel’s red lines.”
Meanwhile, opposition party heads sharply criticized the emerging deal between the United States and Iran on Monday, along with Netanyahu’s role in representing Israel’s interests on the matter.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid warned that the deal between the US and Iran would be “a disaster,” and slammed Netanyahu for not pushing for Israel’s interests and being present during negotiations on the deal.
“The diplomatic handling of the entire event could not have been worse. Everything that was not supposed to happen, happened,” Lapid said at a party press conference in the Knesset.
“The most serious aspect for Israel is that this agreement is being written while we are not at the table,” he added.
Lapid noted that repeatedly, Netanyahu’s government has set goals and failed to achieve them.
Lapid: IDF ‘magnificent,’ government fails them
“The military does magnificent work, and then the government fails to secure the objectives,” he said.
Lapid also warned about Netanyahu’s health condition, saying that he “has grown old, has become tired, and is surrounded by people who are the least suited to running a country.”
Leader of the left-wing Democrats party, Yair Golan, said that it was clear that Trump was not considering Netanyahu while developing the Iran deal.
“Netanyahu is not in the game. His health condition does not allow him to withstand the pressure. His legal situation does not allow him to run a country, and his political condition has turned Israel into a weak regional and global player,” Golan said.
“For 30 years, Netanyahu has put himself before the state. Always politics before responsibility, and always survival before the national interest,” Golan added.
“Today, everyone understands that Trump, the international community, and also the leaders of the region do not take Netanyahu seriously.”
Golan said that was why negotiations with Iran were being conducted “over Netanyahu’s head.”
“That is why Israel finds itself time and again reacting to the decisions of others instead of leading them. Netanyahu has lost his grip on reality. He is a prime minister who has lost the ability to influence, shape, and lead.”
