Finance Minister Smotrich urges PM Benjamin Netanyahu to kick Turkey out of hostage deal talks

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have Turkey removed from the ceasefire talks, in a letter published on Friday.

In the letter, Smotrich stated that he was surprised to have learned that representatives of Israel’s “antisemitic enemy Erdogan” are part of the peace talks, and that “Erdogan should be canceled, and any discussion or ties should be boycotted.”

To back his argument, Smotrich noted that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has helped the spread of antisemitism and the hatred of Israel. Turkey joined the legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice in Hague, and has cut financial ties with Israel. He also noted that the participation of the Turky’s representatives was held in secret from the cabinet.

Peace endangers Israel’s national security

Smotrich further stated the peace talks in Cairo were a “national humiliation,” which harms Israel’s national security and “endangers our existence.” The finance minister claimed that Erdogan had "chosen the terror side of radical Islam” and together with Iran and its proxies, they threaten the peace worldwide.

He then claimed that Turkey’s participation in the peace talks provided Erdogan a form of redemption and international legitimacy, which are a “hard hit” to Israel’s national security.

“For a long time now we have been on a downward slope toward doom,” said the minister in the letter, saying that from feelings of victory, Israel is descending into defeat and surrender under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership.

Smotrich ended his letter begging Netanyahu to “stop! Just stop. Before it is too late.” He then asked him to “return Israel to the natural path of unrelenting war against its enemies, of bravery, of national pride and dignity.”