Smotrich calls Trump plan a ‘diplomatic failure’ but doesn’t threaten to leave coalition

Smotrich argued the agreement was a “historic missed opportunity to finally break free from the shackles of Oslo” and expressed hope that Hamas’s refusal would derail the initiative.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sharply criticized the US-led plan to end the war in Gaza on Tuesday, calling it a “resounding diplomatic failure,” but he stopped short of declaring that his Religious Zionism party would quit the coalition over the agreement.

The criticism came just a day after US President Donald Trump unveiled the 20-point framework alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

Netanyahu embraced the plan and has since defended it, stressing that it would not force Israel to establish a Palestinian state or fully withdraw troops from Gaza.

Hamas is expected to issue a response in the coming days after consultations with Turkey and Qatar.

Reports suggest the group is leaning toward acceptance, though the plan requires it to disarm and release all hostages within three days—terms it has long resisted.

Smotrich warned that the deal squandered “real achievements on the ground for political illusions,” claiming it amounted to a return to failed peace processes.

He argued the agreement was a “historic missed opportunity to finally break free from the shackles of Oslo” and expressed hope that Hamas’s refusal would derail the initiative.

Still, he said his party would “consult, consider, and decide” whether to act.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, another coalition partner, has not yet publicly commented, but both men hold the power to topple Netanyahu’s government.

Despite that risk, broad parliamentary support appears likely even without them, with voices from across the opposition praising the deal.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid acknowledged the plan was “not perfect” but called it “the best option on the table,” warning that Israel had already “squandered a tragic year” of casualties and lost opportunities.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett called it “a difficult, but necessary step,” and Yisrael Beytenu’s Avigdor Liberman endorsed it as a path to bringing the hostages home.

Netanyahu, facing pressure from the right, insisted the plan does not mandate a Palestinian state. “Instead of Hamas isolating us, we turned things around and isolated Hamas,” he said, adding that the international community, including Arab states, now backs the plan’s terms.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also voiced support but cautioned that Hamas could try to evade commitments. “We will see,” he said during a visit to Serbia.