Minister Chili Tropper with Likud spoke Monday morning with Udi Segal and Anat Davidov on 103FM, and addressed the major crisis in relations between Prime Minister Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden.
"I think their partnership is still deep enough to handle the confrontation itself. I also prefer for the friction to be managed as much as possible behind closed doors. Although there is some division on the issue of the ceasefire in Gaza, it is better to manage it as a dispute among friends. When we went to war, there were clear goals – end Hamas rule, bring the hostages home, and security for residents in the South," Tropper said.
"[Israel and the US] don't always agree on everything, but we understand that this friendship is very important to us and has practical implications. We need to accept our decisions. [Minister-without-portfolio Benny] Gantz left because there are disputes between us and we want to try to settle them. It is better to sit with every other important figure in the government and try to bridge the gaps. Even in Gaza, I don't hear the Americans saying not to enter Gaza, but to enter after it is clear that there are plans for population evacuation and humanitarian concern. We are trying to conduct the war in a way that avoids harming the innocent, and we will continue to do that," he added.
Dealing with the complex issue of Gaza
"We are really not trying to create friction with the American government. It's such a complex issue that cannot be resolved in one trip, Gantz continues to maintain relationships with all the top American figures. [Gaza] is a complex issue, I don't have a definitive answer on how to handle it. There are too many unnecessary statements towards the US, there are many ministers unfortunately who speak too many big words that are of no use. We need to choose our battles, even with our friends," Trooper continued.
Trooper also said that, "We thought that the framework they set could lead to a deal. At the moment, Israel is preventing it. Regarding a Hamas decision, we understand that we need to reach an agreement at some point. It's true that sometimes there are gaps, for example on the matter of the day after. We are already in the day after in some areas in the Strip. We believe it was right to accelerate actions that allow freedom of action for the IDF, but we do not want to take on civil responsibility. There are ministers in the government who want a military government and full control, there are those who talk about settling Gaza. It's a mistake for Israel to manage the civilian side, local Palestinian forces need to be created to handle it."
Lastly, he also responded to the Israel's Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who threatened that the ultra-Orthodox sector would leave the country if conscripted: "I am ashamed. I think there is also desecration of God's name here. In my eyes, it's the same thing. Clearly when your brothers fight, you go out to fight with them. Beyond that, it's about a worldview that doesn't align with my Judaism, I am ashamed [that] a person who holds a Zionist position says that his stay in the country is conditional."