Smotrich hits out at US, decries push for 'surrender deal' with Hamas

Israel will not make a "surrender agreement with Yahya Sinwar," Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on Saturday evening on X/Twitter, hitting out at a White House statement earlier that day that reiterated calls for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Smotrich, replying to the American statement on the IDF strike targeting Al-Taabin school in Gaza used as a Hamas complex, claimed that Israel "will not succumb to any external pressure that would harm Israel's security.

"I respect the position of the United States and thank it for its support of Israel in the face of regional threats. However, I expect it to respect Israeli democracy and the position of Israeli citizens and their elected officials regarding decisions that will impact the security of the state," Smotrich wrote.

Smotrich equates war in Gaza to US's war against terror

"Just as the United States would have rejected international pressure to reach a surrender agreement with Al-Qaeda and Bin Laden, so too will Israel not succumb to any external pressure," he continued.

"A surrender agreement with Sinwar, which abandons most of the hostages to death, releases mass murderers, returns terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip, abandons the border, and allows Hamas to smuggle weapons and rebuild its strength to attack Israel again as Iran's proxy, is bad for Israel and endangers its security.

"We will oppose it with all our might. No criticism or attack will divert me from this goal," Smotrich concluded. 

אני מכבד את עמדת ארה״ב ומודה לה על התמיכה בישראל מול האיומים האזוריים, אך אני מצפה ממנה לכבד את הדמוקרטיה הישראלית ואת עמדת אזרחי ישראל ונבחרי הציבור שלה ביחס להחלטות שישפיעו על ביטחון המדינה.כפי שארה״ב היתה דוחה לחצים בינלאומיים להגיע להסכם כניעה עם אל קאעידה ובן לאדן כך ישראל…

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) August 10, 2024

US National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby criticized the finance minister on Friday for his comments last week calling to starve Gazans. Kirby said that statements from Smotrich and other members of the Israeli government attacking the deal are “wrong not only in substance” but are jeopardizing the lives of the hostages and Israel’s own national security interests.

“Smotrich, for example, claimed that the hostage deal is surrendering to Hamas, and hostages should not be exchanged for prisoners. Smotrich essentially suggested that the war ought to go on indefinitely without pause and that the lives of the hostages have no real concern at all,” Kirby said. “His arguments are dead wrong.”

Hannah Sarisohn contributed to this report.