‘There will be no peace’: Hardline rabbi calls for protests against emerging hostage deal

Rabbi Dov Lior, one of the most authoritative religious leaders among Israel’s ultranationalist movement, calls on people to attend protests against a deal to release Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, which he describes as “the capitulation of the government to the dictates of releasing terrorists,” adding that it would be a “great mitzvah,” or religious act, to demonstrate against the agreement.

In a video message, Lior says that protesting is important to try and “thwart the designs of all those who want to cut off parts of our land, those who release terrorists with blood on their hands as if this will bring peace with them.”

Adds the rabbi in his video message: “There was no peace, there is no peace and there will be no peace. We need to strive to clean the land of all terrorists so that the entire Land of Israel will belong to the rule of the Jewish people alone.”

Lior has called for Jewish settlements in Gaza to be rebuilt following the October 7 Hamas invasion, along with ultranationalist members of the cabinet Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Lior backed Ben Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party in the 2022 elections.