Chairman of the Bayit Yehudi party, Education Minister Naftali Bennet, who also serves on the Security Cabinet, spoke with Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) on Tuesday, 29 Iyar, explaining “humanism is not preventing the deaths of the enemy but to defend the citizens of Israel. The following is a synopsis of the interview.

Bennet told host Rino Tzror that in his eyes, “Hamas in Gaza is continuing to bang its head against a metal plate for Israel is not going to yield and not going to permit them to cross the border and threaten and harm the area kibbutzim. Together with the metal platter on the east, we must work to assist them to succeed economically. One of the solutions might be a port, perhaps in Cyprus.

I do not care if it is in one place or another. We cannot say there is an embargo in Gaza as we permit all legitimate items into Gaza.”

Galei Tzahal: You are correct but at the end we kill 59 people at the fence.

Bennet: No. I do not accept this. It is their choice, it is Hamas sending them but when then come in the thousands to cross and international border. We have no interest in killing innocent people but on the other hand, one cannot permit people to cross into Israel. We must use the minimum force that it takes to prevent this, but they may not enter the country as they try.

There is no room for a ‘Hudna’, (Ceasefire) as they are not interested. I am no less humanism than you (Ilana, resident of Gaza border community in the radio station).

I am a member of the Security Cabinet and never heard someone say they want peace with us. I am uninterested in a hudna, for this is just a time out to permit Hamas to rearm and comeback. They have to stop trying to kill us over the border with rocket, kites, tunnels and so-forth. I prefer to remain strong. Your definition of ‘humanistic” means more deaths on our side. I don’t accept it in any way.

I/we are responsible to watch over the lives of citizen, your lives and mine and for as long as I am on the Security Cabinet, this is what I will do. You and I have different definition of “creative”. Your way costs in our lives and I do not accept it

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)