Far-right Israeli minister slams Trump’s Gaza plan as ‘tragedy’ of Netanyahu leadership.
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has sharply criticized the newly unveiled Gaza peace plan announced by former US President Donald Trump, branding it a “tragedy” and a dangerous miscalculation by the Benjamin Netanyahu government.
Speaking on Tuesday through a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Smotrich expressed outright rejection of the proposal, warning that it would only deepen the cycle of conflict. “In my view, this is also going to end in tears. Our children will be forced to fight in Gaza again,” the minister said, forecasting another round of war in the blockaded territory.
Smotrich accused Netanyahu of endorsing a plan that, in his words, repeats past mistakes under the guise of peace. He invoked Albert Einstein’s famous quote on futility: “This is what Einstein defined as pure stupidity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”
The controversial minister took issue with several key components of Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan, which was unveiled during a White House press conference alongside Netanyahu. These include:
• The two-state solution framework, long rejected by Israel’s far-right leaders.
• The deployment of Palestinian police forces trained in Egypt and Jordan to manage security.
• The involvement of Qatar as a mediator in ceasefire talks.
Smotrich condemned these measures as “absurd celebrations” of a misguided process, declaring them “a tragedy of leadership fleeing from the truth.” He further blasted Netanyahu’s “initial unwillingness to occupy Gaza”, accusing the prime minister of weakness in the face of Hamas and international pressure.
What Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Proposes
Trump’s proposal, framed as a historic breakthrough to end the Israel-Gaza war, outlines a multi-stage process that includes:
• The release of all Israeli captives held by Hamas in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners.
• The complete disarmament of Hamas to ensure Israel’s long-term security.
• A gradual withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza.
• The establishment of a technocratic and apolitical Palestinian governing committee to administer the enclave.
The plan has been presented by Trump and Netanyahu as a roadmap to peace, but it has drawn skepticism from both Palestinian groups and segments of Israel’s right-wing political establishment.
The criticism from Smotrich comes against the backdrop of a devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Since October 2023, the Israeli military campaign has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, the overwhelming majority being women and children, according to local and international monitoring groups. The relentless bombardment and ground offensives have reduced much of the enclave to rubble, leaving survivors facing starvation, mass displacement, and the rapid spread of diseases.
International organizations, including the United Nations, have repeatedly warned that Gaza is now uninhabitable, with its population enduring one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century.
Smotrich’s harsh rebuke underscores deep divisions within Israel’s leadership over how to handle the Gaza war and its aftermath. While Netanyahu seeks to present Trump’s plan as a diplomatic win and pathway to security, critics like Smotrich argue it is a strategic blunder that ignores Israel’s long-term interests and sacrifices deterrence for political expediency.
The escalating rift highlights the fragile coalition politics in Israel, where far-right ministers hold considerable sway but remain at odds with Netanyahu’s balancing act between international diplomacy and domestic hardline demands.
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