Knesset Finance Committee chairman Moshe Gafni said at the start of a committee meeting on Wednesday that he “does not understand what we are fighting for in Gaza.”
“I do not understand what the need is; what are we going to do there that soldiers are being killed all the time,” Gafni said, in reference to the seven IDF soldiers who were killed on Tuesday in the enclave.
“We need some kind of [US President Donald] Trump here to come and say [that] we are bringing back the hostages, stopping all these things, and returning to a normal situation, but seemingly we have not yet had the privilege,” the United Torah Judaism MK said.
The comments were notable, as Gafni is a member of the governing coalition and contributed recently to a serious threat to the government over its failure to provide an exemption from IDF service for most eligible haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in response, “The families of the hostages wish to express their support for MK Gafni, who today, in this difficult moment, spoke the truth clearly, without spin or manipulation: The war in Gaza has reached its limit, and it is being fought without a clear purpose or a concrete plan.
“It’s impossible not to question how a week that began with a major Israeli achievement has led to the tragic loss of seven heroic soldiers in Gaza. This situation is absurd and cries out for change.
“The time has come to show courage and speak plainly: Bring the hostages home; end the fighting. This is the only viable solution, the only path to achieving an Israeli victory. We will bring them back; we will rise,” the forum wrote.
Otzma Yehudit lashes out at Gafni
It later put out another statement quoting Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri, who allegedly said, “Now, more than ever, the conditions to end the war in Gaza have been created.”
The forum said in its second statement, “MK Aryeh Deri continues the positive trend of public officials voicing what most of the people have been saying for a long time: The time has come for a comprehensive agreement to secure the release of all 50 hostages and to end the fighting. Only then can an Israeli victory be completed.”
“Now is the time for action, not just words. We call on MK Deri, MK Gafni, and their coalition partners to use all their power and seize this historic momentum to do what is right and necessary – to call for an end to the fighting and to bring all the hostages home,” the families said.
“You have strong backing for this move.”
The far-right Otzma Yehudit party, which is also a part of the coalition, responded to Gafni’s remarks. “The remarks by MK Moshe Gafni, which echo similar statements made by extreme left-wing figure Moshe Ya’alon, harm Israel’s security and the families of our heroic fallen.
“Our brave fighters are waging a sacred war against modern-day Amalek –the Nazi terror organization Hamas – and are striving to eradicate every trace of it to restore security to the residents of the South, in particular, and to the people of Israel, as a whole, and to bring back all of our captives, both the living and the fallen,” Otzma Yehudit said.
“The seven holy warriors who fell yesterday in battle fell in defense of the homeland, with a profound sanctification of God’s name, they commanded us to achieve victory.”
Otzma party head National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir continued to criticize Gafni in a series of interviews on Wednesday, including an accusation that Gafni’s approach was “exilic.”