Transcript [00:00] Javier Knesset, member of Knesset, O [00:01] Hatol, welcome to the Universal Zionist. [00:04] >> Shalom, Arnold. It's always a pleasure [00:06] to be with you. [00:07] >> It's always a pleasure to be with you. [00:08] We have a good time together. But, we're [00:09] going to get into some really important [00:11] issues because we have the election next [00:14] week. [00:14] >> Yes. Yes. [00:16] Critical elections, I would even say. [00:18] >> Critical elections. [00:20] >> You know, every every every election [00:22] here in Israel, we always tend to say [00:23] that this is the most critical elections [00:25] that we ever had in history. And if not, [00:26] I think that this time [00:28] And you know what? It's always true. [00:30] But, I think this time is even more more [00:32] more so because [00:33] we are after 3 years of war. [00:35] Uh in which, you know, it started with [00:38] uh [00:39] with the horrible massacre of October [00:40] 7th. But, also since then [00:44] we've changed the Middle East [00:45] completely. [00:46] But, we also understand that looking [00:49] ahead, what is waiting for us in the [00:50] future, you know, Trump is not going to [00:52] be there for long forever. [00:55] Let's say he'll stay there for the I [00:56] mean, he'll stay there for the next 3 [00:58] years. But, after that, [01:00] who knows what's going to happen? And [01:02] for sure, we're going to we have to [01:04] expect a Democrat president in the White [01:06] House either in 2 years or [01:08] >> Right. [01:09] >> or in 6 years. But, it's in in the [01:11] coming in the coming years. [01:14] And I think we should definitely expect [01:16] that the next president of the United [01:18] States, [01:19] the first thing he would do is to [01:20] recognize a Palestinian state. [01:22] >> Wow. [01:23] >> And not only him. [01:25] European countries, now we have the [01:27] video of America. But, I'm not sure that [01:30] we will we'll have it forever. And if [01:32] you if we will not have it, we need to [01:34] expect a heavy heavy pressure [01:38] from the international arena towards [01:40] Israel for a Palestinian state. [01:42] You know what? I I want to be very [01:44] careful in what in what I'm going to [01:45] say. But, even if President Trump [01:49] uh [01:50] um [01:51] you know, after these coming elections [01:53] in Israel, [01:54] I think we should expect a heavy [01:56] pressure [01:57] to withdraw [01:59] from the areas of the security buffer [02:02] zone that we're now holding in Lebanon, [02:04] in Syria, in Gaza. [02:07] Everybody wants to put aside the [02:09] conflict in the Middle East. They had [02:11] enough of that. [02:12] And [02:13] it's very reasonable to assume that they [02:16] would put a heavy pressure on us to go [02:19] back to the same patterns of the past of [02:21] negotiations with the Palestinians. [02:24] And it's clear that what they're aiming [02:26] for is a Palestinian state. So, I think [02:29] you know, even in the most optimistic [02:31] scenario, even with President Trump in [02:33] the next 2 years, [02:35] we'll have a massive pressure to to [02:37] these directions, and we need to have a [02:39] strong government [02:41] that uh [02:42] it's clear to the people in the [02:44] government that the Palestinian state is [02:46] a is a is a real existential threat for [02:49] the state of Israel, and that a [02:52] government that will hold and stand [02:54] against this pressure. And you know [02:55] what? I don't think [02:57] uh Eisenkot, Bennett, and Lieberman or [03:00] in Yair Golan would stand against this [03:02] pressure. [03:03] >> It's interesting because a couple of [03:05] years ago, we were we got to work very [03:08] closely together against Palestinian [03:11] statehood before anybody was talking [03:12] about it. [03:13] >> Right. [03:13] >> And now, thanks to our efforts largely, [03:16] I'm just kidding, but the world has [03:18] shifted, but everybody is talking about [03:20] in Israel the dangers of a Palestinian [03:21] state. There was a in JNS today [03:25] um a debate between the Knesset parties, [03:27] and they asked everybody, are you you [03:30] know, yes or no, do you support a [03:31] Palestinian state? And every single [03:33] party said no. Some of them said no, but [03:35] you know, and qualified their [03:36] statements, but it's for the most part [03:38] the Israeli people have moved against [03:40] Palestinian statehood. The question [03:43] really is not oh is how are we going to [03:45] stand up to the pressure that is coming [03:48] from the international community. What [03:51] really makes me nervous is the [03:54] um the fact that they have tools at [03:57] their disposal. It's not going to be [03:59] just like we really would like you to [04:00] recognize a Palestinian state, and [04:02] Israel's going to say, "No." And then [04:04] everybody's going to go in their, you [04:06] know, back [04:08] They have tools at their disposal. We've [04:10] seen the Biden administration sanction [04:13] people in Yehuda and Shomron. [04:15] People who lived in Judea and Samaria [04:17] would get to the gas station with an [04:18] empty tank of gas. They would run their [04:20] credit card, and it wouldn't work [04:22] because they'd call their bank, and the [04:23] bank would say, "Sorry, [04:25] America has you on a blacklist because [04:27] you live in Judea and Samaria." You [04:29] know, those kinds of economic sanctions [04:31] could be leveled at you who live in [04:33] Efrat. They could be leveled at us [04:35] because we support Judea and Samaria, [04:37] and that could be very, very dangerous. [04:41] >> They can sanction Israel. They can do [04:43] what Biden did to prevent us from [04:45] getting the weapons that we paid for, [04:48] um, and we would not get it. So, they [04:51] can do a lot of horrible things. They [04:52] can, again, take out the veto, [04:56] uh, in the UN, which is, uh, which can [04:58] cause huge problems for Israel. [05:01] Um, [05:02] and you're right, you know, when we [05:03] spoke about it 2 years ago about the [05:05] danger of a Palestinian state, people [05:08] look at us and said, "Are you crazy? I [05:09] mean, who's going to support a [05:10] Palestinian state?" [05:12] And you know what? You're right. I mean, [05:13] in many ways, the people in Israel has [05:15] shifted more to the right. They're [05:17] They're more anti- They understand [05:20] standing, especially after October 7th, [05:22] understand the danger in a Palestinian [05:24] state. But, [05:26] first of all, the parties who are now [05:28] saying that, as you've said on the JNS, [05:31] panel, they've said that they're all [05:32] against the Palestinian state, I think [05:35] many of them, unfortunately, are [05:36] bluffing. [05:37] And I'll give you one example for [05:39] uh, [05:40] you know, [05:41] Eisenkot, who said [05:43] Eisenkot said that he is against a [05:45] Palestinian state, but also against [05:48] Israel building in at E1 next between my [05:51] other women in Jerusalem. [05:52] Now, being against building in area E1 [05:56] between my other women in Jerusalem [05:58] means you want to keep the option of a [06:00] Palestinian state alive. That's the [06:02] meaning of that. [06:04] Unfortunately, Lieberman himself also [06:07] presenting himself as a right-wing [06:09] party. He also was against Israel [06:13] building now at E1. [06:15] So, they want to keep a Palestinian [06:18] state as an option. That's the practical [06:21] expletive [06:23] result of what of their policies. [06:26] So, I'm not sure when people say they [06:29] know it's not politically correct now to [06:30] say that they want to support a [06:31] Palestinian state, so they're saying it [06:33] in a different way. [06:35] And therefore, we need to have a strong [06:37] government. And just like a Netanyahu [06:40] told Biden, even when Biden told him, [06:43] "Don't go into Rafa. [06:45] We will not support you. We will not [06:46] supply the weapons." Netanyahu told him, [06:48] "You know what? We will do that because [06:50] you're the president of the United [06:52] States and you should care for the your [06:54] country's interest, but I am the prime [06:55] minister of Israel, and my [06:57] responsibility is to take care of [06:59] Israel's interests. And if we'll have [07:01] to, we will fight with our bare hands." [07:04] This is what he told him. And we need a [07:06] a prime minister who would say that to [07:08] every American or every other [07:12] leader in the world who would push [07:14] Israel to doing things that are wrong [07:17] for Israel and and can harm Israel's [07:19] future. [07:21] And I also believe that we should also [07:23] come up with alternatives. We can we can [07:25] just say no to a Palestinian state. We [07:27] should also say what we offer as a [07:30] solution to the conflict here. I believe [07:34] that we should just apply the policies [07:35] of the Torah, what Hashem told us to do, [07:38] and that is to come up to our [07:40] neighbors with three options. If you [07:42] want to fight with us, we will fight [07:44] [snorts] you back and look what what is [07:45] happening in Gaza. The same thing would [07:47] happen to you. [07:48] You can leave. If you want to leave, [07:50] by all means, you can leave and enjoy [07:52] your life in other countries in the [07:53] world. And if you want to stay, [07:56] also, you by all means, you can stay. [07:59] But you'll have to accept that this is a [08:00] Jewish state, and I'm sure you've heard [08:02] about [08:04] the Emirates plan. I think we should get [08:06] rid of the Oslo false of of a [08:09] Palestinian nation, where there is no [08:10] such thing. We should address them as [08:13] different tribes, as who they are. This [08:15] is what what they are. They're different [08:16] tribes. Let's address them as different [08:18] tribes, [08:19] and we will run our policies towards the [08:21] these tribes according to, you know, [08:23] each If some tribes wants to coexist [08:25] with us, they will enjoy all the good [08:27] that Israel has to offer them. Those [08:29] tribes who wants to [08:31] fight with us, will suffer the [08:33] consequences. [08:33] >> Every day we're confronted with lies, [08:36] misinformation, and distorting [08:37] narratives about Israel. And here's the [08:40] problem. Even when we know something [08:42] isn't true, we don't always have the [08:44] facts at our fingertips to respond. [08:46] If this sounds like you, then I highly [08:49] recommend a book we just launched called [08:50] the Pro-Israel Handbook. [08:53] This book gives you the history, the [08:55] facts, and the arguments you need to [08:57] confidently stand up for Israel and [08:59] challenge the most common false [09:01] narratives being spread about the Jewish [09:03] state. Don't just support Israel, know [09:05] how to defend it. Get 15% off your copy [09:08] of the Pro-Israel Handbook today by [09:10] clicking the link below and using the [09:12] code Handbook 15. Now, back to the [09:15] video. [09:15] >> So, okay, those are great ideas. I hope [09:18] that that you're in the government and [09:20] able to push those things forward. [09:22] But what happens if it doesn't work, and [09:25] what happens if they the world if [09:27] America stops vetoing the anti-Israel [09:30] resolutions in the Security Council? [09:31] Because we have a very strong [09:32] government, and the rest of the world [09:34] doesn't respect that strong government, [09:36] resents that strong government, and so [09:38] what then do we have up our sleeves? [09:41] Your party in particular has really done [09:43] a great job building the Israeli economy [09:46] during three years of war, and [09:49] you can't be willing to risk all of what [09:52] you've accomplished. So, what's the plan [09:54] to keep Israel safe economically? [09:56] >> So, first of all, you know, we cannot [09:58] just because there's a heavy pressure, [10:00] we cannot just cave to the pressure [10:01] because [10:03] that the meaning of that is risking the [10:05] future of this country, and we cannot [10:08] risk in committing suicide because [10:10] there's a pressure. And right, maybe [10:12] we'll have to pay prices for our [10:14] policies, but it doesn't mean that the [10:16] alternative is to just commit a suicide. [10:17] We cannot allow that to happen. We've [10:20] said already from the beginning of the [10:21] war that Israel must be much more [10:23] independent. We cannot rely on America [10:25] as much as as we do today. We'll have to [10:28] be much more independent, and we have to [10:29] get new alliances. And Israel is is an [10:32] asset is an asset to the world in many [10:34] ways in terms of security and defense [10:37] and military and technology and and and [10:40] so many other things, and we have to use [10:42] our advantages to be stronger and create [10:45] more alliances in the world. You know, [10:47] we are seeing Thank God, the world is [10:49] also shifting. We are seeing what is [10:52] happening in Latin America. Many [10:53] countries are now who who who were red [10:56] before now or in in our terms of of red [10:59] as as as communist and and blue as as [11:03] western were turning to the west. I [11:06] think now we're seeing more countries [11:08] coming more to the right than to the [11:09] left. And many of them can will be our [11:12] strongest allies. [11:14] In India, we have strong alliance. [11:17] Some countries also here in the Middle [11:18] East [11:20] who are related to the Abraham Accords [11:22] and other countries that are now still [11:23] behind the scenes, but we are in in [11:26] communication with. Europe, look at what [11:28] is happening in Europe. I hope and pray [11:31] and expect that we will see we'll see [11:33] also shifts there. We're seeing [11:35] elections now in Spain and who knows [11:37] what other what's the new government [11:38] going to look like after the elections [11:40] in France. Look at what is happening in [11:41] France right now. I mean, only in the [11:43] last couple of days. I mean, it's [11:44] absolutely crazy what is happening and [11:46] thank God [11:48] these [11:49] demonstrations of students [11:52] are actually uh uh uh uh uh [11:55] protests of radical Islamists who want [11:58] to destroy France from within. And I [12:00] hope and pray that we will see more [12:03] people in Europe coming to realize the [12:05] threat to their countries and will [12:08] understand they have to fight for their [12:09] countries and they will understand that [12:11] Israel is actually at the forefront of [12:13] their fight of their war against these [12:16] radical forces and if Israel will put [12:18] itself at that position, [12:20] I think we can create new alliance so [12:22] that even if we will lose the video of [12:24] America, [12:25] we will have other strong allies in the [12:28] world that will support our [12:30] >> Yeah, no, I I think I'm in agreement [12:32] with you and probably the audience is in [12:34] agreement with you that the the [12:35] countries who stand with Israel will be [12:38] blessed and will be will prosper and the [12:40] countries that start to turn on Israel [12:43] and to start accommodating our enemies. [12:46] So, it just leads to all kinds of bad [12:50] things in their own countries and we're [12:51] seeing it in Europe. We're seeing it in [12:53] France and hopefully we won't see it in [12:55] America more than we've already started [12:57] to, but uh but it's coming obviously. If [12:59] America starts to recognize the [13:01] Palestinian state, it's uh it really is [13:05] uh the writing is on the wall for the [13:06] United States. [13:07] >> happening in America and I think people [13:08] in America has to wake up. Look at what [13:11] is happening in Europe. Look at what is [13:13] happening in France. Look at what is [13:14] happening in Britain. Look and and be [13:17] careful and wake up and don't wait for [13:20] that to happen in your back backyard [13:23] because it's happening. It's a fact and [13:26] and bury your head in the sand will not [13:29] solve this problem. [13:30] >> You have not buried your head in the [13:31] sand. You've been out there traveling [13:34] all around the world. You're the number [13:35] one most uh the Knesset member who has [13:39] the most miles out of any Knesset [13:41] member. You've been traveling more than [13:43] the foreign minister, okay? So, you've [13:46] seen what's going on. You're not burying [13:47] your head is not buried in the sand, [13:49] right? But, at the same time we're [13:51] losing the support of America, and [13:53] you've been to America a number of [13:54] times. So, what could the government, [13:57] and you're part of the government, so [13:58] the government has done a lot of things [13:59] correct, but at the same time is [14:01] responsible to some degree to the loss [14:04] of support, not only from the Democrats, [14:06] but even in the Republican Party. What [14:09] could the government have done better? [14:11] What should the government do better [14:12] going forward? [14:14] >> So, I believe I will first answer [14:17] uh you know, if if you would be more [14:20] appeasing our enemies, the world the [14:22] world would have loved us, and we would [14:25] get much more support, and ceremonies at [14:27] the at the White House, and all that, [14:29] but we would lose eventually, and we [14:32] would have God forbid would have seen [14:34] October 7th on a much, much larger [14:36] scale, and this is not something we can [14:37] afford. That's So, that's number one. [14:39] The first priority should not be the [14:41] support of the world. It should not be [14:43] the main priority. That's number one. [14:45] Number two, we should be uh recognizing [14:49] our own value and our own purpose and [14:53] destiny. When we will be able to tell [14:55] the world, you know, [14:57] the I think the main problem is that [14:58] we're not talking. We're not saying what [15:00] we want. We are still speaking the PC [15:03] language, who is always about, you know, [15:07] negotiating with our enemies and trying [15:09] to come up with some kind of a [15:11] territorial compromise. No, we should [15:14] say enough. [15:15] We are not going to give up an inch [15:18] of what we [15:20] got with the blood of our sons and [15:23] daughters. We will not move from where [15:26] we are we're standing right now. Not in [15:28] Lebanon, not in Gaza, not in Syria, [15:31] in anywhere. We're not going to give an [15:33] inch back because we they started a war, [15:36] they lost, that's it. It's gone. [15:40] First of First and foremost, second of [15:41] all, that's our country. [15:44] The land of Israel belongs to the people [15:46] of Israel. We should be very, very clear [15:48] about that. [15:49] And [15:51] every piece of land that has been proven [15:52] that we ever gave to the Arabs brought [15:54] us only death and agony. And every piece [15:56] of land that we're holding is a blessing [15:58] to everybody. So, that should be the [16:00] main policy. We should say that we [16:01] should start saying that very, very [16:03] clearly. When we will respect ourselves, [16:06] the world will respect us. That's number [16:08] two. Number three, [16:10] we should understand that all this [16:12] anti-Semitism and lost of support in [16:14] America and in other countries is funded [16:18] by with a lot of money by countries like [16:20] Qatar and Iran and other countries. [16:24] They're funding [16:26] faculties in American universities. [16:29] They're funding journalists. They're [16:30] funding [16:32] the media. They're funding a lot of [16:33] things. We should aim for the money. You [16:35] know, just just couple of days ago when [16:37] the Ukrainians [16:39] bombed [16:42] some devices [16:43] >> a Russian uh uh [16:45] >> Russian [16:46] >> server farm. [16:46] >> Exactly. You saw how dramatically all [16:50] the accusations of anti-Semitism against [16:52] Israel has reduced dramatically. So, [16:56] it's been funded by some countries and [16:58] organizations. It is supported and and [17:01] there's a whole infrastructure who [17:03] create this narrative of anti-Semitism [17:06] against and accusations against Israel. [17:08] We should just aim for this mechanism, [17:10] for the funding of it, and and and show [17:14] that it not only hurts Israel, it only [17:16] hurts America's interests and European [17:19] interests. The second we will prove that [17:21] that to to these governments, I hope [17:23] that they will take the actions to to [17:26] actually reduce that. The second we will [17:28] take their funding and will take their [17:30] all this infrastructure, you will see [17:32] that it will be reduced. So, I think [17:35] these are the main three pillars of what [17:37] I believe we should do and change the [17:39] narrative in the world. [17:40] >> Well, we you mentioned the funding that [17:43] that is [17:45] that is behind a lot of the narrative [17:46] war against Israel and the college [17:48] encampments and all of that. I believe, [17:50] and I can't prove it to you, but I [17:52] really do believe that [17:54] the all the sudden explosion of settler [17:58] violence out of nowhere, I really [18:00] believe could be linked to those same [18:03] funding sources. And I'll tell you why, [18:06] because [18:08] you you've you've been a activist for [18:11] you the causes that you've believed your [18:13] whole life. I think you started even [18:15] protesting the Gaza disengagement. [18:18] >> yeah. [18:20] >> 2005 and [18:23] you know, so the the right wing has [18:25] always been very active in protesting [18:27] and [18:29] for the land of Israel and for the [18:30] causes that we believe in. But there has [18:33] never been daily violence that um [18:39] right wing [18:40] religious for the most part, kids with [18:43] the long payot, those kinds of things [18:46] have not been involved with violence. [18:49] And now all of a sudden it's almost on a [18:50] daily basis. What's going on? Did [18:52] something change in our community? Are [18:54] there yeshivas becoming just much more [18:56] extreme? I don't think so. I think that [18:58] what's happening is that they are being [19:00] set up by [19:03] provocations and provocateurs. They are [19:05] being incited against by not only the [19:09] left. It's not like Ehud Barak is behind [19:11] all of this stuff, cuz Ehud Barak has [19:13] been, you know, a an a left-wing [19:15] activist for many, many years. But, I [19:17] think that the people that have been [19:19] funding and doing such a good job at [19:22] sowing discord and dis uh and [19:26] instability on college campuses in [19:28] America or now in Paris are finding a [19:32] nerve that is very sensitive in the [19:35] Jewish community by demonstrating and [19:36] showing that you have Jewish violence, [19:39] and it is working better than they're [19:41] they were hoping for. And I think that [19:44] we're all defending, "Oh, it's only a [19:45] few bad apples." We're we're sort of [19:47] defending it, but instead of defending [19:49] it, we should not lose our sight on the [19:52] funding sources. And a lot of it [19:54] So, okay, sorry, that was a long [19:56] question. [19:58] >> you know, I I fully agree with you. I [19:59] think what is happening to us as a [20:00] nation, what the demonization that [20:02] they're trying to do to Israel [20:04] our enemies understand that the only way [20:07] they can really harm us is not with [20:09] sending ballistic missiles and tanks [20:11] against Israel, because they understand [20:13] that the Israeli army will defeat them [20:15] militarily. So, they understand that the [20:17] their way to harm us is by delegitimize [20:20] Israel. And this is, I think, what [20:22] they're also trying to do to the [20:24] right-wing [20:25] in Israel. After they've seen this whole [20:27] revolution that we've done in the past 4 [20:30] years in Yehuda ve Shomron, and we [20:32] worked very quietly behind the scenes, [20:35] and we've changed the whole situation in [20:37] Yehuda ve Shomron. We've changed the [20:38] legal status of of Yehuda ve Shomron, [20:42] and and the whole structure. We [20:44] recognized and built over 100 new [20:47] communities in Yehuda ve Shomron. [20:49] >> Amazing. [20:49] >> Almost 200 farms are holding all [20:51] together more than 1 million square [20:54] dunams in Yehuda ve Shomron. So, we are [20:56] changing the reality completely. So, [20:59] they cannot beat us there. So, what [21:01] they're trying to do is to delegitimize [21:04] the Jewish presence in Yehuda ve Shomron [21:06] by creating by by creating these [21:08] provocations, trying to [21:11] put the settlers as violent as if [21:14] there's an an an equation between the [21:16] Palestinian terror and violence and God [21:19] forbid a Jewish one. And this is what [21:21] they're trying to do, to create this [21:23] this false [21:25] equation. And definitely we should not [21:27] cave to that and you're right. I think [21:28] we should go for the for the for the [21:30] funding. [21:31] And also you know just yesterday we saw [21:35] even the the the very smart they they [21:37] didn't just came to provoke [21:40] the [21:41] people in the Havot. They came with [21:44] diplomats [21:45] European diplomats to these farms. And [21:48] of course they brought them exactly in [21:50] the right timing after they created a [21:52] provocation and after the [21:55] the people who lived in these farms had [21:58] to react. They came with hundreds of [22:00] people [22:01] throwing rocks at them and and stealing [22:03] their ships and after these kids from [22:06] the from the farms [22:08] only 40 kids came back and tried to [22:10] stand against those who attacked them [22:13] then they brought the European diplomats [22:16] showing them this whole scenario of [22:19] supposedly settler violence. This is [22:21] exactly the kind of [22:24] provocations that they're doing. It's [22:26] well funded. It's well organized. This [22:28] is what they're trying to do and we [22:29] should definitely not fall for it and [22:31] of course it's it's [22:33] we are condemning any kind of violence [22:36] but even then even now we also have to [22:38] remember that it's much safer to be a [22:42] Palestinian in Yehuda v'Shomron in terms [22:44] of if you really measure the amount of [22:47] violence and [22:49] incidents like that in Yehuda v'Shomron [22:51] it's much much safer to be a Palestinian [22:54] in Yehuda v'Shomron than definitely to [22:56] be a Jew in New York or you know what [22:59] even just to be American citizen in New [23:01] York. you'll suffer much less [23:04] uh uh [23:05] violence or incidents if you live as a [23:07] Palestinian in Yehuda and Samaria once [23:09] you just to put everything in [23:10] proportion. [23:11] >> Yeah. Yeah, and they are but they are [23:13] doing a good job at showing that Israel [23:17] can't control Judea and Samaria. They're [23:19] showing that that's sort of one thing [23:21] that I think people are starting to see [23:25] and even people like Marco Rubio are now [23:28] being forced to condemn [23:30] the actions in Judea and Samaria or Mike [23:32] Huckabee is being forced to condemn the [23:34] actions in Judea and Samaria and we're [23:37] always so slow in getting our act [23:40] together to fight back the this [23:43] narrative propaganda. [23:45] >> You're right. You're right. This is why [23:46] I think we should go from offense to [23:48] from defense to offense. We should [23:50] attack those these organizations. We [23:52] should make them [23:54] be on the run and not [23:56] allow them to [23:58] create a whole narrative that forces [24:02] Israel's biggest supporters like [24:03] Huckabee and Marco Rubio to [24:07] have to be to condemn these incidents [24:10] which by the way again many of these [24:11] incidents are being presented as a [24:14] settler violence well while actually [24:16] most most of them are violence starting [24:20] from the Palestinians and and Israelis [24:22] has to [24:23] respond. By the way, not only the people [24:26] who from the from the farms from the [24:27] farms, but many times it's also Israeli [24:30] soldiers who has to react and it's being [24:33] described police officers were being [24:36] have to has to respond to these to these [24:39] acts of violence and it's been presented [24:42] at the UN reports as a settler violence. [24:44] So, these numbers are fake and I really [24:47] recommend everybody to go on the website [24:49] of Regavim, an organization called [24:51] Regavim who present all the data [24:54] that is being presented by the left [24:55] organizations and you would see that [24:58] it's a fake accusations and they're [25:00] going over every case and they're [25:02] showing how these accusation accusations [25:05] are actually fake. [25:07] >> Yeah. Yeah. So, one of the issues here, [25:09] you're with the religious Zionist Party, [25:11] the religious the religious Zionist [25:13] Party has done amazing things, like you [25:16] said, with over 100 new communities in [25:19] Judea and Samaria just in the last 4 [25:21] years. [25:22] The Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, [25:24] who's the head of the party, has is [25:26] responsible for the incredible growth of [25:29] the Israeli economy during 3 tough years [25:31] of war. [25:33] Those are the two issues that really [25:34] stand out more than anything in the [25:37] which is why so many people are excited [25:39] about your party. The biggest criticism [25:41] of the party, even from those who who [25:43] have always supported who wear a kippah, [25:46] and so are in the community, are really [25:49] upset over the issue of the Haredi draft [25:52] because and I'll just like explain it a [25:54] little bit is that our community, the [25:57] religious Zionist community, your [25:59] community, has served disproportionately [26:02] during the last 3 years of war and has [26:04] really paid the ultimate price [26:07] disproportionate to any other community [26:09] in Israel. Up to 50% of the fallen [26:12] soldiers I've seen [26:13] are coming from the religious Zionist [26:15] community, whereas we only represent, I [26:17] don't know, 10% of the population, but [26:20] 50% of the fallen soldiers are soldiers [26:22] who wear a kippah, so we've done more [26:24] than anything in any other community in [26:27] the war. Yet, at the same time, the [26:30] religious Zionist Party went along with [26:32] the government's exemption of the [26:35] ultra-Orthodox. If the ultra-Orthodox [26:37] don't have to serve, which is [26:40] considered by many a stab in the back [26:43] and a a very disappointing [26:48] lack of leadership on an issue that so [26:51] many of us care about. So, can you [26:53] explain what's going on here? [26:55] >> Sure. [26:57] You know, I must tell you personally [26:59] that this issue of the Haredi draft uh [27:02] is one of my biggest frustration [27:04] personally as a as a as a member of [27:06] Knesset as a as a citizen in Israel who [27:09] I you know, I believe that's one of the [27:11] most critical issues [27:13] that unfortunately, the discussion about [27:16] this issue is so shallow [27:19] uh [27:21] in a way that I don't remember I don't [27:23] remember in recent years uh uh such a [27:25] such an important topic with such a [27:27] shallow discussion [27:29] uh uh around it. And and I want to [27:31] explain. First of all, [27:33] there is no [27:34] dispute. There's no argue that that the [27:37] current reality in which there's a whole [27:38] segment in Israeli society who doesn't [27:40] take an active role in protecting this [27:43] country [27:44] is is is a is a is a morally disgrace, [27:47] okay? It's it's it's a broken reality. [27:50] It should not be uh uh like that. You [27:52] know, I as as a religious Zionist [27:55] person, I can tell that it it it's [27:56] halakhically wrong. It's morally wrong. [27:58] It's a disgrace. No doubt about it. [28:02] And it's not a pain that I need somebody [28:04] else to explain me that it's a pain. No, [28:07] I fully understand it. You know, I [28:09] myself served in the army. I myself [28:12] fought in Gaza and in Jabalia. [28:14] I know exactly what what are the prices [28:17] of this current broken reality. And we [28:20] don't need anybody else to lecture us [28:21] about that because you know, Orit [28:24] Strock, one of the ministers from my [28:25] party, [28:26] she has 12 12 children and and and and [28:31] sons-in-law [28:32] who are now serving in the last 3 years [28:34] in endless cycles of reserve of Miluim. [28:37] We understand. And Bezalel Smotrich, the [28:39] leader of my party, he has two sons now [28:41] serving as as a combat soldiers in the [28:43] army. One of them was injured in this [28:45] war. [28:46] He lost his cousin. [28:49] His cousin [28:50] died in this war. So, we personally [28:52] paying the price of this broken reality. [28:55] We don't need anybody to lecture us [28:56] about [28:58] what is now, what is wrong at this [28:59] situation. [29:01] The only question, and that's the real [29:03] question, which nobody asked, is what [29:05] are the [29:06] biggest What are the reasons? [29:09] What creates this broken reality? What [29:11] are the obstacle to change that? [29:15] And unfortunately, here the discussion [29:16] becomes very, very shallow. [29:18] Because it's much easier for everybody [29:20] to condemn the Haredim themselves for [29:23] that reality or the rabbinim of the [29:25] Haredim. [29:26] It's much easier. And then the result [29:28] the the answer is let's sanction all of [29:31] them, and we will see that that they [29:34] will they will join along. [29:36] But you know what? We've tried that. [29:37] People don't realize it, but [29:39] in the past two years, the Yeshivot [29:41] budget for Haredim [29:44] is zero. They're not getting a penny [29:46] from the government for their Yeshivot. [29:49] Have we seen a dramatic change in Haredi [29:53] draft? [29:54] They're not getting the subsidies for [29:55] the kindergarten, which that's the most [29:57] painful uh sanction against the Haredim. [30:00] They're not getting zero, zero, not [30:02] getting any uh subsidies for their [30:04] kindergartens. Did we see a radical [30:07] dramatic change? They're throwing them [30:09] to a to a They're arresting them. [30:12] Did we see a a massive change and growth [30:14] in in numbers? No, the answer is no. You [30:17] know why? Because the obstacle is not [30:21] the Haredim, and it's not the rabbinim. [30:23] The main obstacle, even today, is the [30:26] army. It's the military itself, who [30:28] doesn't really want to see Haredim in [30:31] the army. I'll give you just few [30:32] examples. You know, [30:34] right after October 7th, and I I have it [30:35] all uh [30:36] on my phone. I I can show it to you [30:38] later on if you want. All the reports [30:40] that we had on the media, It was It was [30:42] published everywhere that 6,000 Haredim [30:46] just on the weeks after October 7th. [30:49] 6,000 Haredim came to the Bakum and [30:53] said, "We want to join. We want to [30:55] draft. Please take us." [30:57] You know what the army did with them? [31:00] Nothing. [31:01] They've sent them home. They took 450 [31:03] out of this 6,000. The rest of them [31:05] they've sent home. And even the 450 that [31:08] they took and trained, they're not [31:11] putting them in positions in Miluim in [31:13] reserve. [31:15] In In [31:16] February [31:18] 2024 [31:19] uh Rav Scheinvald, the Rosh Yeshiva of [31:22] the Hesder Yeshiva in in Modi'in [31:26] came up with a whole plan of how to [31:28] draft on every cycle, every Mahzor [31:31] Giyus, every cycle a whole brigade of of [31:34] Haredim to the armored corps. And he [31:37] presented it to the army. He gave it to [31:38] the army. [31:39] You know, after 2 and 1/2 years, we [31:41] could have been with two battalions of [31:44] Haredim, more than two, you know, [31:45] actually more than two battalions of [31:47] Haredim in the armored corps in in the [31:49] army. [31:50] With the support of all the Haredi [31:52] rabbinim. [31:53] What did the army do with all these [31:54] plans? [31:56] Nothing. They've done nothing with that. [31:59] You know, after after October 7th, you [32:02] know, so no nobody can tell me, "No, [32:04] that was a different time." No, after [32:06] October 7th, Herzi Halevi, the chief of [32:08] staff [32:09] he appointed [32:12] General Shkedy, who was not a [32:14] politician, definitely not from my camp. [32:16] He appointed him [32:18] to make a whole plan of how to draft [32:20] Haredim into the army because really [32:22] after October 7th, [32:24] there was a sense that, you know, we [32:25] actually do need them. [32:27] He made a whole plan of how what exactly [32:30] they have to do the army needs to do and [32:32] and and made a whole plan. What did the [32:35] army do with all these plans of how to [32:37] draft Haredim, plan that was [32:39] orchestrated not by me, not by a [32:41] political party, by a general in the [32:42] army who had a whole [32:45] committee to to analyze the problems, [32:48] the obstacles, the the the the action [32:50] the action items. [32:52] The army did nothing with it until this [32:55] second. And I can keep on and on with so [32:59] many other examples. So, the army [33:01] doesn't want to have Haredim in the army [33:03] until this moment. Why? [33:06] Because the army understand [33:08] that a [33:10] army with Haredim in it, with thousands [33:12] of Haredim in it, will not be the same [33:15] woke army that we have now, that is more [33:18] that cares more about women [33:21] in tanks than to really have fighters [33:24] fighting [33:25] to defeat our enemies. They understand [33:27] that it will be an army that you cannot [33:29] fight with soldiers about Mashiach [33:31] patches [33:33] as we are seeing today happen on a daily [33:35] basis. It will be an army that cannot [33:38] accept that in the moral code of the [33:42] army and and and listen, you know, I [33:44] just read one of the the the the the the [33:46] person the Professor Asa Kasher Asa [33:49] Kasher the the the person who drafted [33:52] the moral code of the army, he said only [33:54] recently [33:55] that victory [33:57] is not one of the goals of the army. [33:59] It's not Look at that. It's not even in [34:01] the moral code of the army. Victory and [34:03] he he he he's saying even more than [34:05] that. He's saying that every time the [34:06] government uses the term victory, it [34:09] goes beyond the boundaries of the moral [34:12] code. [34:13] So, [34:15] they understand that this is a struggle [34:18] for the soul of this country. This is a [34:20] struggle for the for the identity of the [34:22] of the army also. And army with Haredim [34:26] will not be a woke army as they're [34:28] trying to have. [34:30] And this is what they're afraid of and [34:32] this is why they're trying to stop it. [34:33] Because if if you really want to draft [34:35] Haredim, the the what you have to do is [34:37] very very simple. Very simple. [34:40] Open more units for Haredim, which now [34:42] the army is blocking. Yes, they did. [34:44] They had one unit, the Hashmonaim, which [34:47] deliberately they did they did only one [34:50] because so nobody can tell them you've [34:52] done nothing. So they did only one. [34:55] And it's very very small. But by the [34:57] way, every bed [34:59] in in the in this base that is available [35:03] is immediately being filled by Haredi [35:05] who comes there. So, if you will open [35:06] more units for Haredim, you will see [35:09] that they are coming. And we need we [35:11] need to open more Hesder yeshivas for [35:13] Haredim. And pre-military academies for [35:15] Haredim. And you will see that they will [35:18] come. You know, again, I I can just keep [35:20] on and on with the examples. There's [35:22] already a Haredi unit in the army for 22 [35:25] years called Netzah Yehuda. [35:27] You know how many alumni they have? [35:30] 18,000. [35:31] 18,000. In the the that had all the [35:34] training, that in the right age for [35:36] reserve, they can call them not [35:38] tomorrow. Two years ago they can call [35:40] them to serve. [35:42] They're not calling them. They're [35:43] calling 10% of them. Why? I mean it it I [35:47] mean [35:47] really, every person with with logic and [35:50] common sense can look at this [35:53] at the reality and understand that it's [35:55] not because [35:57] some rabbis of the Haredim say that [36:00] uh it's forbidden to to go to the army. [36:02] It's not the reason. The Haredim are [36:04] willing to come, but time and again [36:06] we're telling them, "No, we don't want [36:08] you." So, that is the reason we don't [36:10] have Haredim in the army. So, people who [36:12] really want to change the reality, this [36:13] is why we supported the bill that was [36:15] offered by uh uh the prime minister and [36:18] and and and [36:21] was Bismuth as the head of the Security [36:22] and Foreign Affairs Committee that was [36:25] aimed to have 50% 50% of the Haredim in [36:30] 5 years with sanctions on the [36:33] institutions on the Yeshivot and on the [36:35] on the individuals. That's that's [36:38] a massive massive [36:40] step forward. And who was against that? [36:43] The opposition. [36:44] And unfortunately unfortunately some [36:46] people from our coalition even from my [36:48] party well who cave to this false [36:52] campaign. They didn't want to find [36:54] solution. They just wanted to to to to [36:57] scream that the reality is broken. [37:00] Great. Our job is not to scream about [37:04] broken realities. Our job is to fix it. [37:08] And unfortunately unfortunately people [37:11] came to this false campaign. [37:14] >> Can I say member of Knesset? That was a [37:16] very passionate explanation. You're [37:18] right. It's not simple and thank you for [37:20] educating me. Thank you for educating [37:22] our audience. [37:24] And thank you for joining us the [37:26] Universal Zionist podcast. [37:28] >> Thank you so much. As I said before it's [37:30] always always a pleasure to be here with [37:32] you especially with you.
