Ben-Gvir criticizes Trump: Destroying Hamas was more important than freeing prisoners.
According to the Israeli TV channel “11”, Homeland Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir once again criticized US President Donald Trump’s positions on Gaza in a telephone interview with the network today (Sunday), saying that Israel is not under US tutelage.
Reiterating his previous attack on the US government, Ben-Guerr said: “I thank Trump, but we are independent and sovereign and we are not under Washington’s tutelage.”
On Thursday, Ben-Guerr also criticized the US’s harsh reaction to the initial approval of the law to apply sovereignty to the West Bank, as well as Trump’s words about the release of imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, saying: “Trump is undoubtedly the best US president towards Israel.” However, it is important to remember that Israel is independent and sovereign, and members of the Knesset also vote according to their own discretion. He claimed: “Barghouti is a murderer and will not be released and will not rule Gaza.”
These statements are in response to the US President’s remarks in Time magazine, in which he said that he would “make a decision” on the release of Marwan Barghouti and that he would make the appropriate decision at the appropriate time.
Trump added in the interview: “The Palestinians do not have a current leader and most of the previous leaders have been shot dead, so that situation is no longer desirable at this time.”
Ben-Gwer had threatened to kill Barghouti last August (early September), saying: “I will destroy anyone who messes with the people of Israel.”
Also, in his remarks today, the Israeli Minister of Homeland Security re-examined the goals of the war against the Gaza Strip and called for continued efforts to destroy “Hamas, which now controls half of the Gaza Strip.”