Housing Minister Yoav Gallant condemns coalition infighting over Israel’s response to violence emanating from the Gaza Strip and expresses backing for the transfer of Qatari funds to the coastal enclave to pay the salaries of civil service employees.
“The political prattle on security issues is damaging us and it is advisable to stop it,” Gallant says at a real estate conference.
“If we fight we don’t stutter,” he adds.
Gallant does not directly call out any ministers, though Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett have engaged in an ongoing public squabble over Israel’s security policy toward Gaza since the start of Hamas-led clashes on the border in March.
Asked his opinion on the transfer of $15 million in Qatari cash to Gaza on Friday, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said was meant to help stave off a humanitarian crisis in the Strip, Gallant says Israel should exhaust all other options before launching a war.
“War is the last option. I know what I’m talking about. I brought Hamas to its knees,” says Gallant, who was head of the IDF’s Southern Command during the 2008-2009 Gaza war.
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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, November 11, 2018
