“We hold a very clear worldview: A dead terrorist does not resume terror activities,” Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Yitzhak Kroizer told JNS in an interview at his Knesset office.
Discussing the bill introduced by Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech to institute the death penalty for terrorists—now awaiting its second and third (final) readings in the Knesset plenum—Kroizer said the legislation is critically important. He added that the incentive to kidnap Israelis for future prisoner exchanges would drop sharply because “there will not be anyone to free.”
“It is possible to win the war on terror, and it is possible to deter terrorists and have them think twice before they go on to harm the Jewish people. There are a few tools to do it, and this law and [National Security] Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s police reform are part of that,” Kroizer said.
Addressing Ben-Gvir’s reform to reduce detention conditions for terrorists to the strict minimum, Kroizer said the policy has had the intended effect. “Today, we know from discussions with people at the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) that terrorists call Minister Ben-Gvir ‘majnoon’ [‘crazy’ in Arabic], indicating fear, and that they would rather end up in the detention facilities of the Shin Bet or the IDF than in the Israel Prison Service system,” he said.
Ben-Gvir is the chairman of the Otzma Yehudit Party.
A proponent of peace through strength, Kroizer said he believes that military presence, sovereignty and settlement expansion are the only reliable paths to peace and security for Israelis.
He cited Israel’s 2000 withdrawal from Lebanon as a cautionary example. “The IDF withdrew from Lebanon after 18 years, and Hezbollah ended up becoming the largest terror army in the world and an existential threat to the State of Israel. We entered Lebanon and neutralized them 20 years late, as the threat sat on our neck and we barely avoided the Radwan force conducting an attack similar to Hamas in the south [on Oct. 7, 2023],” he said.
Israel is currently operating in Lebanon; Kroizer said there is no real ceasefire there and the threat is being addressed continuously. “Since Oct. 8, there has hardly been a day when the IDF did not eliminate a threat in Lebanon, and that is how we ensure Israelis’ security. As a resident of the north, it feels much safer knowing there are no longer Hezbollah weapons and positions trained on Israel’s northern communities,” he said.
Kroizer argued that Tehran, too, will be deterred if Israel maintains its recent achievements. “Iran is a power that should not be underestimated; we are not allowed to underestimate our enemies. It is one of the most important lessons of Oct. 7. We must also listen carefully to what our enemies say,” he explained.
“If they say they want nuclear weapons to destroy us, those are not words but intentions. Iran was hit hard [during ‘Operation Rising Lion’ in June], but our conflict with them is not only over territory, it is a deep religious conflict. If we consistently deter our enemies, they will be deterred, but we must continue until there is a government with whom we can have relations, as we do with Jordan.”
The disengagement
Regarding Gaza, Kroizer said Israel’s 2005 withdrawal (the disengagement) allowed the Strip to become a terror pseudo-state. Entering Gaza militarily was postponed, he said, and Israel paid the price.
He described an argument before Oct. 7 between Ben-Gvir, then Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, then-IDF Military Intelligence Directorate head Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva and then-Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, during which Ben-Gvir pushed for entering Gaza and using military presence as a defensive wall to protect southern communities. But, according to Kroizer, Ben-Gvir’s approach was set aside. “Israel paid a huge price for it, and the IDF entered anyway,” he said.
Kroizer argued that in addition to sovereignty, military control and settlements, launching an emigration program for Gazans—an idea once supported by U.S. President Donald Trump—remains the most viable solution. “If there weren’t Arabs in Gaza, nobody would have gone to murder and kidnap Israelis from Be’eri, Nahal Oz, Nir Oz or anywhere else, and nobody would have launched rockets either,” he said.
On Oct. 22, Kroizer voted in favor of the preliminary reading of a Knesset bill on applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. From a security standpoint, he said, the Jewish communities and military presence in the area—home to more than half a million Israelis—allow the country to live peacefully in the central region, even without sovereignty. “Security control has made the enemy a lot less dangerous for the people of central Israel,” he said.
From an ideological and religious perspective, Kroizer said no one doubts the Jewish connection to Judea and Samaria. “It is the home of the Jewish people. Applying sovereignty is right, just and a Zionist move. We have an opportunity, as millions of Israelis voted for a coalition that is in favor of it and will lead to it,” he said.
“Our duty is to implement the will of the voters who put us in office. We represent a big part of the Israeli public, and they want sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. It goes back to what I previously said: Sovereignty and settlements will bring peace and security in the Middle East, where security and peace come from strength and power. Winning the great wars here—whether in ’48 or ’67—is viewed in terms of land, and when the land returns to its Jewish owner, it is seen as victory,” he added.
In the Middle East, there is no room for ambiguity, Kroizer said.
“You are either a strong actor or you don’t exist. We see this with all the regimes. The regime of Bashar Assad collapsed quickly, even though it appeared strong. This region understands clear statements and the right-wing values of political, economic and security power,” he said.
“When our enemies see that we are unwilling to compromise on our values, abandon our ideology, or doubt our path, they seek relations with us and want to expand the Abraham Accords—but only when we are strong,” he added.
The Trump administration
Addressing relations between Israel and the current U.S. administration, Kroizer described them as exceptional. “The Israeli connection to the American administration and its people is a personal and exceptional link. It is not only about military assistance, intelligence cooperation or international support—it is a religious connection,” he said.
Ultimately, however, Kroizer said the United States has its own interests. “President Trump is the president of the United States, and Prime Minister Netanyahu is Israel’s leader. He has a responsibility for Israel’s security and its existence as the only Jewish state. Sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and implementing the emigration plan in Gaza are necessary for the State of Israel to continue to exist. And even when there are disagreements, we must act solely based on Israel’s interests.”
Since he entered the Knesset on Jan. 1, 2023, Kroizer has focused on supporting the families of hostages through legislation that enabled them to prioritize securing their loved ones’ return from Gaza over navigating Israeli bureaucracy. He also directed efforts toward combating organized crime, extorted protection fees and agricultural terrorism.
Kroizer stressed the importance of labeling agricultural terrorism accurately. “It’s not an agricultural crime—it’s agricultural terror. The same terrorist who goes and damages the fields does it not only to get money but also because he wants the Jews to leave so that it will become his field,” he said.
On criminal organizations in Arab society and extortion, Kroizer noted that there had previously been no legal definition of extortion, and victims were required to prove they were being targeted. He advanced legislation shifting the burden of proof from victims to suspects, requiring suspects to justify their assets and demonstrate their innocence. He also pushed for financial penalties rather than prison terms.
Kroizer added that some weapons used in organized crime were stolen from IDF bases. He advocated marking weapons belonging to IDF reservists and taking a far more aggressive approach toward intruders found near IDF training camps and bases.
Regarding support for hostages held in Hamas captivity and their families, Kroizer, along with lawmakers from both the coalition and the opposition, advanced legislation ensuring that hostages in Gaza continue receiving a monthly salary from Israel’s National Insurance Institute—alleviating the financial burden on employers while protecting the hostages from being penalized.
“Until Oct. 7, the State of Israel gave only a small allowance to hostages because there weren’t many, and most were soldiers or security personnel. We legislated a law that provides lifelong emotional, medical and financial support to the hostages and their families,” he said.
“They know they can focus on their rehabilitation and that of their families while the country accompanies them throughout their lives. There are additional elements we are working on concerning deceased hostages, widows, divorcees and orphans. This is something we continue to address constantly,” Kroizer said.
