Netanyahu’s right-wing partners laud hostages’ return, though warn of deal’s dangers

The leaders of Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit—the most staunchly right-wing parties in Israel’s governing coalition—are expected to vote against the Hamas deal during the Cabinet vote to approve the agreement, which is set to take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

Although the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday called the deal “a historic moment” and one that achieves all three war objectives laid out by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—the return of the hostages, the defeat and dismantling of Hamas, and the promise that Gaza would no longer pose a threat to Israel—the government’s far-right members expressed, at best, ambivalence to the agreement.

Religious Zionism Party head and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich acknowledged his “mixed emotions” in a Thursday tweet, noting his satisfaction about the return of the hostages, of whom 20 are estimated to be alive.

Still, he vocalized “great fear” over “emptying prisons” and setting free “the next generation of terror leadership.”

“For this reason alone, we cannot join the short-sighted celebrations and vote in favor of the deal,” he said.

As part of the deal, Israel has agreed to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian terrorists, including about 250 serving life sentences for deadly attacks, and another 1,700 arrested since the Oct. 7 war began.

Otzma Yehudit Party leader and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir did not comment publicly on the deal until Thursday evening, posting to X that he had told the prime minister that “under no circumstances” would he be part of a government that allowed the continued existence of Hamas rule in Gaza.

“I told the prime minister, and I am telling you too, citizens of Israel: I will not lend a hand to any case of deception. If Hamas rule is not dismantled, or if they just tell us that it has been dismantled while in practice it continues to exist under another guise—Otzma Yehudit will dismantle the government,” Ben-Gvir wrote.

Religious Zionism Party Knesset members Orit Strook and Simcha Rothman similarly expressed ambivalent feelings—their unqualified happiness at the hostages’ return, but concern for the future.

In a lengthy X post, Strook called the day one of “great shame,” condemning the release of terrorists and warning that it would lead to more bloodshed and kidnapping.

She decried the mention of a Palestinian state in the deal and likened the agreement to the “Oslo-like” policies that, she said, endanger Israel’s security and sovereignty over Gaza—"it being part of the Land of Israel.”

Strook also criticized Netanyahu for allowing such terms, questioning whether it was right to remain in a government that accepts them.

Rothman was less harsh in his assessment, focusing less on the deals’ failings than on past mistakes. He criticized Israel’s delays in applying greater military pressure on the terror group to realize partial hostage release deals, ultimately prolonging the conflict.

He also lamented Israel’s failure to apply its existing death penalty for terrorists, which he said would have deterred hostage-taking. He also said that Israel’s strike on Qatar should have come earlier, calling the Gulf state’s mediation during the two-year-long war “deeply harmful.”

While acknowledging his concerns, Rothman was prepared to put them aside for the time being. Quoting Ecclesiastes’ “to everything there is a season,” Rothman wrote, “today is a time to laugh and a time to dance.”

Religious Zionism MK Michal Woldiger similarly posted to X: “Now is the time to rejoice and give thanks.”

Unlike most of her party, Woldiger was positive. She thanked the prime minister, U.S. President Donald Trump and the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces.

She also spoke warmly of Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, whom she said was exposed to torrents of abuse by “divisive elements” in the media, but remained steadfast in striving for Israel’s security and the return of the hostages.

Religious Zionism MK Ohad Tal said he was happy for the hostage release; however, it was almost certain that Israel would “pay in blood” for a deal where terrorists are released and Hamas survives.

He said the nation hasn’t “yet internalized that the collective comes before the individual.” While he grimly predicted another war, he also stated that Israel would win it.

Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, whose husband was murdered by terrorists, made clear her opposition to the deal, posting to X: “It’s still not too late. Don’t release terrorists.”

She included an attachment to an article on Thursday she wrote on the Arutz 7 news site, in which she warned against releasing terrorists: “The great danger in releasing such terrorists is not just theoretical. It is tangible, imminent and based on a painful history we have already experienced. Every such release is an invitation to the next massacre, the next kidnapping, the next murder. We cannot afford to ignore it.”

She predicted that hundreds more will be murdered and kidnapped; it’s “only a matter of time.”

Almog Cohen, another Otzma Yehudit MK, was more positive, thanking Netanyahu and Trump for making the deal happen and pointing out the successes of the IDF soldiers for allowing Israel to reach this point.

He expressed his faith that Israel would finish off the “Nazis of Hamas” and his confidence that Israel’s south would once again flourish.

Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Wasserlauf also chose to focus on the positive, posting to X: “This is a day when every Jew skips a heartbeat from excitement for all our hostages *all of them* to return home to the homeland, to Israel, to their families, and without anyone being left behind. And may the sons return to their borders, amen!”