Israel has ‘no interest’ in joining US-Iran war: finance minister
(LifeSiteNews) — Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated Tuesday that Israel has “no interest” entering the ongoing U.S.-Iran confrontation, describing the current circumstances as optimal for the country.
Speaking at a conference commemorating the 2005 Gaza settlement withdrawal — where he and fellow officials advocate for illegally reestablishing Jewish colonies on these internationally recognized Palestinian territories — Smotrich , “The State of Israel has no interest in joining the contained confrontation between Iran and the United States. The current situation is the best one for us.”
His remarks followed Pentagon acknowledgements of the deaths of four U.S. soldiers in the conflict. According to U.S. reports, three were killed in an Iranian strike on a base in Jordan and the fourth died during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
Israel has chosen to stay out of this renewed bombing campaign despite the U.S. State Department publicly acknowledging the Trump administration had initiated its unprovoked attacks on Iran “at the request” of Israel. Since military hostilities reignited earlier this month, Iranian missiles and drones have struck U.S.-linked targets in several Arab countries but have not hit Israel itself so far.
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Smotrich stressed that Israel’s long-term objective remains weakening the Iranian regime in order to topple its government, a goal he noted does not likely align with U.S. priorities.
“(We) must remember that the ultimate goal of Israel, and not necessarily the United States, is to undermine and weaken the regime in Iran – to the point of overthrowing it,” Smotrich said.
He argued that undermining Iran’s economy, harming the civilian population, represents the most effective strategy.
“Currently, inflation in Iran is at 85 percent, food inflation of over 134 percent in a total of four months, and the Iranian rial is trading at an exchange rate of 1.9 million to the dollar – and it’s going up,” he celebrated.
The Israeli minister reaffirmed that the “current situation is good for us, and there’s no point in pushing ourselves inward.”
While Israel has avoided direct strikes on Iran, reports indicate it is actively supporting the U.S. effort through intelligence sharing and other assistance. An analysis in Haaretz described this role as “a blessing for Israelis” because it “reduces the risk of casualties and allows daily life to continue largely as normal, without midnight sirens, trips to bomb shelters or major disruptions.”
While Americans fight Iran, Israel expands borders in Gaza
Described by former Israeli officials as part of the “Jewish Supremacist” government, Smotrich embraces the most radical forms of Zionism that support the deadly suppression or expelling of the native Palestinian people from their lands to create an ever expanding “Greater Israel.” This planned expanse includes not only the internationally recognized Palestinian territories, which Israel continues to illegally occupy, but parts of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
READ: Mike Huckabee ignites diplomatic firestorm with remarks on Israel during Tucker Carlson interview
Despite around 96% of the national governments of the world, including the Holy See, supporting a two-state-solution, Smotrich has described thwarting any future Palestinian State as “my life’s mission.”
To this end, he declared intent “to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria” (the West Bank), with hoped-for U.S. support. On Gaza, Smotrich urged Israel last year to “finally occupy the Gaza Strip,” adding the country is “no longer afraid of the word ‘occupation’” and this brutal expansionist agenda would afford “no retreat … not even in exchange for hostages.”
He additionally asserted in 2024 that it would be “right and moral” to starve the entire population (including 1 million children) in Gaza “to death.”
READ: Israeli extremist rabbis instruct soldiers heading to Gaza: ‘Kill all their children’
Currently in Gaza, the Israeli army continues to violate the signed “ceasefire” agreement from last October, expanding its military occupation to around 70% of the territory and attacking the virtually defenseless population almost daily, killing 1,180 (at least 247 children, 191 women) in this timeframe and wounding 3,810.
Since October 2023, Israel has dropped the equivalent of at least 13 atomic bombs on Gaza, directly killed at least 73,293 Palestinians, including approximately children at a confirmed minimum, with at least 173,960 people injured, including over children who have at least . An additional 10,000 Palestinians are missing and presumed dead and under the .
According to a rationale presented in a Lancet study in July 2024, one can conservatively estimate total deaths in Gaza, including indirect fatalities due to causes like starvation, lack of medicine or proper medical care, to include 366,465 (161,245 children). (Click here to access tens of thousands of videos and photographs of Israeli in Gaza.)
In late June, Smotrich said the Israeli government has plans to establish three Jewish colonies (“settlements”) in Palestinian territories and are simply awaiting approval from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Such an enterprise would be yet another overt violation of international law.
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