By: Gil Tanenbaum
Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid had some very harsh words for Hamas and the people of Gaza. Lapid made the comments about Gaza at a speech he gave on Sunday evening, at a conference held by the Reichman University’s Institute for Counter-Terrorism Policy.
Lapid acknowledged that the withdrawal from Gaza, enacted by Israel in 2005, led to violent attacks on the country carried out by Hamas. Not long after Israel pulled out of Gaza and dismantled its settlements there, Hamas took control of the area and continues to use it as a base of operations for terrorist activities. Hamas has launched numerous missiles indiscriminately at civilian targets in Israel over the years.
Mr. Lapid’s father, the late Israeli cabinet minister Tommy Lapid, was one of the people who pushed through Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. He served in the then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s government as Minister of Justice and deputy prime minister at the time. Tommy Lapid was the leader of the coalition partner Shinui (change) party.
“Since Israel left the Gaza Strip in 2005, it has repeatedly encountered rounds of violence that cause suffering and damage to the country’s residents and economy. The policy pursued by Israel so far has not materially changed the situation,” said Lapid.
He promised that Israel will not give up on its efforts to recover the bodies of its soldiers who fell in battle and were taken by Hamas. “Of course, Israel will not give up even for a moment on its efforts in the field of prisoners and missing persons. The return of the boys should be part of every move of security for economy,” Lapid said.
Yair Lapid put the onus for continued conflict with Gaza on Hamas and warned the people there that Hamas will bring them only suffering. “The Gazans must be told in every way and on every stage – Hamas is leading you to doom. No one will come to invest real money and no one will try to build an economy where Hamas is firing,” he said.
“It is time to transfer the pressure to Hamas,” he added. Lapid called on the people of Gaza to put pressure on Hamas to stop its terrorism, “because they understand what they are losing from the ongoing terrorism and understand what they have to gain if it stops.”
Lapid also made it clear that Israel will do everything needed to defend itself. “Make no mistake, Israel does not ask anyone to keep its citizens safe,” he said. “Only Israel provides security for Israel.”
The twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks fells on a Saturday, yesterday. So Israel held ceremonies commemorating the anniversary today.
At the ceremony commemorating the 9/11 attacks held at Israel’s Foreign Ministry today, Lapid said that, “An attack on the United States is an attack on Israel. The United States is Israel’s most important ally, and whoever harms the US harms us.”
(TPS)
