Smotrich in an interview with Nadav Perry's podcast: I think thanks to me all the hostages are here
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that "thanks to me all the hostages are here." According to him, "I think I have a dramatic, not to say decisive, influence on the war." In an interview with…
Assessment
Finance Minister Smotrich claims personal credit for the return of hostages and for the war's continuation past Rafah. The statement asserts his influence was decisive in preventing an earlier ceasefire. This positions him as a central political obstacle to any deal, raising the stakes for coalition dynamics and public pressure on the government.