Following the Hamas murderous attack and massacre on southern Israel last Saturday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich held a press conference this evening (Sunday) regarding handling the reconstruction of the communities surrounding Gaza and firstly took responsibility, on behalf of the government, for the" security situation and the war that broke out.
"Citizens of Israel, I stand before you today and take responsibility for what has been and for what will be. We are now going through a very difficult time for all citizens of Israel. The massacre that struck us last Saturday, in the midst of Simchat Torah, was the most horrifying that we have known in the State of Israel.
From the beginning of Zionism and Jewish revival in the Land of Israel, we have not reached such a huge and painful juncture.
Such unimaginable cruelty that the world has not seen for many, many, years since the Holocaust," he said.
"We have to admit honestly, painfully, and with a bowed head – that we, the state leadership and the security system, have failed in maintaining the security of our citizens. We have not been able to fulfill the unwritten contract, the first of its kind between a state and its citizens. A contract that was written in blood and is now stained with blood."
"Last week, I went down to the Gaza region, and I met with the authorities and the residents, I heard the horror stories and, on the other hand, the stories of heroism of the soldiers and the residents. Now, after such a severe and horrific massacre, the entire enlightened world understands how unimaginable the cruelty of our neighbors is, how much the threat they pose is not only a threat to the State of Israel but to the entire advanced and Western world, how much the only choice we have is the complete destruction of Amalek, of Nazism, of Hamas-ISIS, of wicked and evil. This is not the only choice before us – this is the only obligation that we face now," said the Minister of Finance.
“Our heart breaks and goes out to the families of the hostages and the missing, we are committed to ensure their safety and return home. With Israel, we are in pain and in tears, but let no one be mistaken – we will always win."
“Shake it all off, rise from the ashes. Wear the garments of the glory of My people.”
"The enemy does not differentiate between us. The horrendous massacre brutally struck members of kibbutzim, villages, and cities. Fighters from all sectors of Israeli society fought these bloodthirsty terrorists with supreme bravery that will still be learned and told of. Everyone together will now fight shoulder to shoulder, destroy the terror organizations, and remove the threat from the State and citizens of Israel. We passed difficult tests. In the Six Day War, in the Yom Kippur War, and in other Israeli military operations. Our enemies have risen to destroy us, but again and again, Israel's eternity will not be defied. And with the IDF soldiers and other security force’s bravery, out of confidence in Israel’s strength and redemption, the people of Israel continue to live safely in their country."
"The soldiers of the standby units and the civilians, the IDF forces, the security forces, all of them, are now standing as guards over our country, deployed throughout the area to ensure Israel's victory."
"We see the reservists and the combat soldiers, religious and secular, people of the left with the right, the residents of the periphery with the residents of the center and the residents of Judea and Samaria, kibbutzniks with the religious Zionists, all together risking their lives for the security of Israel, fighting together with supreme bravery. Thanks to the unity and strength of the people of Israel, we will win," he said.
"The goal of our war is the destruction of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, period. We will not agree to settle for less than that, we will not agree to a compromise, settlement, or any other chewed-up expression, except for an overwhelming victory and the physical destruction of Hamas in Gaza."
"The time will come for accountability, for the conceptions about the Oslo agreements, through the Disengagement to the escape from Gaza and all the tactical and strategic moves, including the mistakes and mishaps of recent times and the last days, which in the end caused this to explode in our faces. Now is a time for unity and a time for victory. The entire State of Israel is united behind the IDF and behind the leadership that will bring victory to Israel," he said.
Smotrich welcomed the unity. "It is time to say thank you to the chairman of the National Unity camp, Minister Benny Gantz, and the members of his party, who joined us, and I call on all the leaders of the Zionist factions to join. Only together can we overcome and, with God's help, win.
Citizens of Israel, today, we are managing two fronts simultaneously. A military front – an uncompromising war with a clear goal, which is the elimination of the threat, the destruction of the terrorist organizations Hamas, ISIS, and Islamic Jihad, including the restoration of peace to the south of the country, with our eyes to the northern front."
“And the second front – the home command – maintaining as much a routine of life as possible in the different regions of the country. We are providing immediate assistance to the residents of the Israeli periphery, the south of the country, and to the families of the diseased and the kidnapped. By virtue of my position and at the request of the Prime Minister and the government, I take responsibility for the management of this front. I will work together with the ministers of the government and a variety of necessary people to respond to the needs of the Israeli society and economy.”
“Additionally, I immediately instructed the Ministry of Finance to fully budget for the evacuation, housing, and accommodation of the hundreds of families who survived the brutal massacre to alternate locations all over the country. In addition to this, I instructed the transfer of an immediate first aid grant to every resident who was evacuated from their home, in the amount of up to NIS 5,000 per family, and in a total budget amount of NIS 80 million for these grants. In addition, I already transferred NIS 30 million last week for the initial needs of these programs."
“Already today, the Tax Authority allows any resident who is evicted from their home to enter the website and with one click submit an application for the grant that will immediately be deposited in everyone's bank account, without unnecessary bureaucracy and without waiting," Smotrich pledged.
"There are three major tasks that we must ensure right now: the proactivity of governmental continuity, through the functioning and the provision of services to its citizens, managing the education system, health, welfare, etc., during the war and while balancing the various needs and considerations and aid to all the families and survivors of the massacre, and the reconstruction of the settlements. To that end, I met today with reserve Lieutenant Colonel Moshe Edri, head of the Atomic Energy Committee, who has taken on the task of heading a special administration that will handle this and begin the work of restoring the settlements in the south. I say unequivocally that the Gaza Strip will return and flourish to more than it was before, and every community and every family and every person will receive a full and unequivocal response.”
“We will provide support for the economy during the war, for every resident of the country, for the business owners, for the employees, for the self-employed, and for the entire Israeli economy. We are entering this war when the economy is in good shape, with a responsible budget and a low deficit target, with a low debt-to-product ratio and very low unemployment figures. We are also seeing a moderation of inflation today, and all this data allows us to assist in a good way and to ensure that the IDF and the security forces will be able to fulfill all their tasks for the success of the campaign and in addition to guarantee the provision of our assistance to all citizens and the Israeli economy", Smotrich said.
"I speak to you with responsibility that the Israeli economy is stable and solid and can support all the fighting efforts. We will manage it with care and professionalism and with a broad hand.”
"We will now present to you the actions that have already been taken and the actions that we intend to take in the coming days in concern for the entire economy for the citizens of Israel in the south, in the north, and all over the State of Israel. I gave an unequivocal directive that there is no budget limit regarding the war requirements of the IDF and the security forces and in assisting the survivors of the massacre. For this purpose, I instructed the budget department and the Accountant General to act to change the order of budgetary priorities at this time."
"In recent days, my division has been conducting a careful mapping of all budgets that are not essential for supporting the fighting efforts, supporting civilians, and the continuous functioning of the economy in order to divert them according to the urgent needs of the economy. As part of this mapping, all the budgets that have not yet been paid and have been charged are examined, including coalition budgets for the years 2023-2024. Some of the budgets have already been diverted, and the rest will be diverted according to the mapping and active needs.”
“I promise you, citizens of Israel – no citizen will be left alone. Bureaucracy will be reduced to a minimum. Already last week, with the transition of the economy to a time of war, I ordered the halting of all budgets and their redirection to one thing only - the victory of Israel on all fronts. I intend to monitor it and take care of it. This is not the time for fake news and false information. All citizens of Israel will unite together.”
“The State of Israel is doing everything so that every damaged house is rebuilt in a more magnificent way, that every business owner that is financially damaged receives the appropriate compensation, and that every family that has lost their loved ones receives the economic and emotional support it needs so that the affected communities are rebuilt. And, of course, full financial support is given to the reserve soldiers and their families."
"Citizens of Israel, I intend to do everything so that we emerge from this disaster, and just as we win on the battlefield, we will also lead the State of Israel to a better place. Together, we will be victorious."
