Gaza weapons distribution to clans stirs cabinet and corners Smotrich

"I am completely opposed to arming any enemy, regardless of which faction it belongs to," Bezalel Smotrich said today (Monday) at the Religious Zionism faction meeting held today.

The Finance Minister was essentially addressing claims being made against the Prime Minister regarding the distribution of Israeli weapons to armed militias in Gaza so they could confront Hamas terrorists and attempt coups against the existing regime.

Smotrich is considered a senior government member, a leading coalition partner who maintains good and continuous contact with the Prime Minister, making his statement against the move definitely significant.

It should be noted that among cabinet members, not all are willing to admit that an enemy armament move was indeed carried out by the Israeli government.

Smotrich added: "I think the idea that we would let our enemies fight our enemies has not proven itself anywhere. Beyond that I don't want to elaborate, because unlike Lieberman and others, I have responsibility for Israel's security, and there are things that are naturally right to do within the closed room, simply so as not to harm security and our existential interests."

He then said that "it's okay to create interests of all kinds of players and all kinds of power factors, in the end we have a challenge - to destroy Hamas and collapse it. Weapons are a red line."

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman also addressed the issue of arming militias in Gaza at the Yisrael Beitenu faction meeting, saying: "Look who are the central people in that militia - the same terrorists who participated in the 2004 armored vehicle attack in which we lost 13 soldiers, who participated in the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, the same people who supported ISIS and fired rockets at Israel. This is exactly the Oslo Government 2025."

Meanwhile, the National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has not yet expressed a position regarding the issue that could directly provoke him against the move.

Today there was also no faction meeting of the Jewish Power party.