Two of the Israeli government’s most hardline ministers on Sunday urged a firm response to the overnight Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urging a response that "resonates throughout the Middle East" and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Israel should "go crazy."
Smotrich, the head of the far-right Religious Zionism party, said that if Israel hesitated, "we will put ourselves and our children in existential danger."
In a video statement, Smotrich called this a “moment of truth,” saying, “If our response resonates throughout the Middle East for generations to come — we will win.”
Ben Gvir, the leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, said Israel’s response must not be “weak,” and that “the concepts of containment and proportionality are concepts that passed away on October 7,” the day of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Neither Smotrich nor Ben Gvir are members of Israel’s war cabinet.
Nir Cohen contributed translations to this post.