Minister of Settlements and National Missions, Orit Strock, participated on Monday in the Arutz Sheva Jerusalem Conference and stated that defeating Hamas is the most pressing issue at present.
"Defeating Hamas in Gaza is no less a strategic goal than the Iranian nuclear threat. Our enemies are watching us, and if we do not win, it will harm Israel's security for years to come. This is no less important than the return of the last hostage," Strock claimed.
When asked by interviewer Amit Segal: "In the dilemma between ending the war and returning all hostages, you are able to say with a heavy heart – 'I, Minister Orit Strock, agree that we will have to forfeit several hostages in order to achieve our strategic victory over Gaza,' Strock replied: "I am saying this and I am also saying that this was the Israeli consensus ten years ago."
She explained her strong objection to the hostage deal. "We consider this deal as a bloody deal. Last Saturday night proved to us how dangerous this route is, when the released terrorists set their clocks for 9:00 p.m. and could have caused a bloodbath. God Himself saved us. The government must decide whether it wants the gates of hell to open on Gaza or on us. We were supposed to be at several funerals right now. We returned six hundred terrorists to prison; that's half the number of terrorists released in the Shalit deal! As long as we continue this way, we are digging new graves for ourselves.
There is no way to return the hostages except through uncompromising military pressure. Anyone who believes that a humanitarian approach will lead to their release is mistaken. The families, of course, are demanding the return of their loved ones, and that's understandable. But our job is to look at the big picture and if we don't defeat Hamas, Israel won't be safe. That was the Israeli consensus until a decade ago. Yair Lapid and Omer Bar-Lev proposed a law prohibiting the release of more than one terrorist in exchange for one hostages and today that is seen as an extreme opinion. We need to restore that consensus," she added.
When asked why her party does not leave the government in light of their objection to the deal, she replied: "We are staying in the government because we have succeeded in leading change, instead of continuing on a dangerous path that is only going to lead us down a precipice. We have created a junction that is leading to the defeat of Hamas. The cabinet decision, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is to allow the IDF to continue fighting until complete victory. If we see that the government cannot achieve this goal, we will not hesitate to make appropriate decisions."
"Defeating Hamas in Gaza is no less a strategic goal than the Iranian nuclear threat. We are surrounded by enemies, and what happens in Gaza will determine their attitude towards us. If we continue to release terrorists and show weakness, they will conclude that we do not have the strength to prevail. On the other hand, if we eliminate the Hamas regime, ensure that a large majority of Gazans leave Gaza, and take control of Gaza, that will be the strongest message for the entire region. There is only one way to return the hostages and that is to turn off all their taps of humanitarian aid; no water, no electricity. Hamas understands only force, and the time has come to stop deceiving ourselves," she concluded.
In response to the question of why she is perceived as a symbol of extremism, Minister Strock answered: “I am subjected to tons of delegitimization, and it is not just a matter of headlines. It is targeted and orchestrated, because they know exactly which moves I can lead. I am not personally bothered by this, but it does injustice to the public that elected me. They do not deserve to have their voices silenced. Even the public that did not elect me, but is exposed to this demonization, lives in a sense of catastrophe, and this is harmful to the State of Israel.”