Israel must force Hamas ‘to raise the white flag,’ Liberman says

Israel’s objective in its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip must be to defeat the Islamist terror organization and render the group incapable of orchestrating any further attacks against the Jewish state, Avigdor Liberman said in a Friday night TV interview.

“Our strategic goal as a state must be either to defeat or force the surrender of Hamas,” the foreign minister said during an interview with Channel 2. “Surrender means that Hamas raises the white flag and begs for a ceasefire without any preconditions and requirements,” he elaborated.

“Defeat means that Hamas has no ability to fire missiles, produce rockets or restore tunnels.” He said this goal was entirely “realistic.”

Liberman went on to heavily condemn Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas who, the foreign minister asserted, has led an incitement campaign against Israel throughout the IDF operation in the Gaza Strip.

“Abbas failed in Gaza and lost it to Hamas, he did not deliver the goods then and is incapable of doing so today,” Liberman charged. “While Hamas focused on terrorist actions, Abbas led a militant and inciting line against Israel.”

While insisting that he did not wish to attack Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Liberman criticized Netanyahu for what he called his indecisiveness with regard to Abbas and for entrusting the Palestinian leader with assisting in ending the conflict with Hamas.

“When Abbas formed a government with Hamas, Netanyahu insisted on not recognizing it, and now suddenly Abbas is a lifesaver?” Liberman asked. “It just doesn’t fit.”

— Our full story on Liberman’s TV appearance is here.