Smotrich reveals: Israel gearing up for all-out campaign in Judea and Samaria
Finance Minister and Religious Zionist Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich revealed that Israel is preparing for a comprehensive military campaign in Judea and Samaria aimed at disarming the Palestinian Authority and preventing the development of a large-scale security threat to Israeli cities. In an interview at the Arutz Sheva - Israel National News studio in Jerusalem, just days before the elections, Smotrich described the operation as one of the central challenges facing the next government and warned that the October 7 massacre could be repeated, this time in Israel's population centers. "We need a comprehensive military campaign in Judea and Samaria that will dismantle the Authority and remove all the weapons. We are preparing for this," Smotrich said, stressing that such an operation will be crucial in preventing prevent the emergence of a threat similar to the one that materialized along the Gaza border. He also warned of a scenario in which large-scale terrorist attacks could target Kfar Saba, Ra'anana, Netanya, Be'er Sheva, Tel Aviv, and Petah Tikva. Addressing Friday's deadly terrorist attack at the Yehuda Junction, which he also visited, Smotrich said Israel's response demonstrated a change in its approach to security threats in Judea and Samaria: In addition to targeting terrorists themselves, Israel must act more broadly against the infrastructure and areas that enable terrorist activity. "We will need a comprehensive military campaign, fighting in Judea and Samaria, in which we deal with the territory, kill the terrorists, collect all the weapons, and turn this area into a place where it is safe to live," he said. Smotrich noted that following the terror attack, Israel announced plans to estalish six farms in the area , alongside efforts to advance construction of two additional communities whose establishment had previously been approved. Regarding the demolition operations carried out using Civil Administration engineering equipment, he said, "Within four hours, the Civil Administration's bulldozers were on the ground demolishing four-, five-, and six-story buildings, leveling the area, and creating a clear, open zone throughout the entire area." According to Smotrich, IDF positions are also being mapped following the attack to determine where additional clearing of terrain is necessary and prevent vulnerabilities from being exploited to harm soldiers. He attributed the speed of the response to years of work restructuring planning and implementation systems in Judea and Samaria, explaining, "Reaching a point where we can do what we've been doing since Friday, within four hours of the deadly encounter, is the result of four years of building a system." Smotrich linked the security operations to the settlement policies he has pursued in recent years, warning that a left-wing government could reverse many of the changes. He also said that Yashar! leader Gadi Eisenkot intends to halt construction in the E1 area and dismantle the Settlement Administration. Reversing the transfer of civilian responsibilities from the military administration to civilian authorities would return residents of Judea and Samaria to a situation in which their civilian affairs were managed under military government, he added. Regarding the construction tender in the E1 area, Smotrich stressed that it had already been approved and was supposed to advance during the week preceding the interview. Smotrich noted that the opening of the tender bids was delayed by legal proceedings until after the elections, and accused the judicial system of attempting to influence whether construction could proceed. "I approved the planning. I approved the tender," he said, adding that the delay could allow a different government to halt the project, but stressing that his claims about the motives behind the delay were his own political assessment. Asked whether advancing construction in E1 could intensify international pressure on Israel, Smotrich acknowledged that pressure exists and predicted that it would increase, but maintained that it should not prevent the government from proceeding. As an example of this, he noted the earlier concerns regarding changes at the Cave of the Patriarchs and the projects he advanced there, including roofing and air-conditioning improvements. Though similar warnings of severe international reactions were issued in those cases, Smotrich carried out the plan regardless. "There is international pressure, and I'll tell you a secret: It's going to increase," he said. "I don't think we're heading toward sanctions on that scale, but the pressure will intensify. We need a smart diplomatic campaign, just like our forefather Jacob: gifts, prayer, and war." Smotrich added that Israel must strengthen its international standing through its technological and security capabilities. To this end, he identified artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity, and defense industries as fields in which Israel should lead, to make other countries interested in cooperation. In addition, alongside diplomatic efforts and public diplomacy, he stressed that Israel's economic strength is essential to its ability to withstand international pressure. Addressing remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning the possible use of digital currencies, Smotrich said he did not believe the government was moving in that direction. "The Prime Minister has already clarified this. I don't really understand that statement. We're not going in that direction," he said. At the same time, Smotrich said he believes the performance of the shekel, capital markets, high-tech sector, and foreign investment are evidence of Israel's economic resilience, even after years of war.
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