‘Resounding diplomatic failure’: Israeli far-right minister says Trump’s Gaza plan ‘will end in tears’

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday (Sep 30) that US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan to end the conflict “will end in tears”. Launching a criticism of the US proposal, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted during his White House visit on Monday (Sep 29), the minister called it a “resounding diplomatic failure.” This comes a day after Trump and Netanyahu met in Washington to discuss the 20-point peace proposal.

In a lengthy post on X, Smotrich said the celebrations over the plan were premature. He described the plan as giving up “real achievements on the ground for political illusions… a diplomatic bear hug and glittering ceremonies.”

He further added that allowing a Palestinian security force into Gaza and Qatar becoming a “central player” marked a “historic missed opportunity to finally break free from the shackles of Oslo, a resounding diplomatic failure, a closing of eyes and turning our backs on all the lessons of October 7th, and in my estimation, it will also end in tears. Our children will be forced to fight in Gaza again.”

“A tragedy of leadership fleeing from the truth. Is there still a chance that something sweet will come from this bitterness? That the enemy’s obstinacy will once again save us from ourselves, as it has many times in the past, and reality will force us to return to the path of heroism and victory and taking responsibility for our fate and security, this time with broader international support?” he wrote.

He added, “Given the reality that has emerged in the face of international pressure, the destructive hostage campaign, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s initial unwillingness to conquer Gaza and adopt Trump’s original plan, the military foot-dragging and lack of success in bringing the military leadership to where we want, the faltering coalition, and the natural exhaustion after two years of war—given all this, is there no choice, and is this the maximum that can be achieved right now?”

“The celebrations since yesterday are simply absurd,” he concluded.