Yishai. Price tag
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Yishai: Destroy 100 houses for each rocket fired
Shas chairman presents his solution for thwarting rocket fire towards southern communities: 'We must set a price tag for every act of shooting at Israel. If we damage infrastructures or houses in response to every small action – the rocket fire will end'
Shas
Chairman Eli Yishai demands a harsh response against the rockets fired at Israel
from Gaza: Yishai said Monday that Israel should set a price tag for any rocket launched by Hamas.
Speaking at the 9th Annual Herzliya Conference, Yishai referred to the situation in the Gaza vicinity: "We are witnessing and aware of the harsh and complex security reality. There's no doubt that years of restraint have heavily damaged our deterrence ability.
"Even if they fire at an open area or into the sea, we must damage their infrastructures and destroy 100 houses. That's when it will end," he said.
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"Operation Cast Lead restored Israel's deterrence ability. It's very important, but we are now facing a big test – whether we harm the achievement to the limits of our deterrence or strengthen it.
"We're not looking for a military action. The people of Israel seek peace, act sensitively while taking chances."
The Shas chairman said the Jewish state "must set a price tag for every rocket fired at Israel, every tunnel dug and every act of smuggling. We will respond immediately to every act of terror using the price tag. Believe me, not much will happen before it stops – as they also want to live after all."
As for the response as he views it, Yishai said, "If for every small action, even a mortar shell fired at an open area or into the sea, we damage infrastructures which have yet to be damaged or hit dozens of hundreds of terrorists' homes while informing them in advance – so as not to hurt the family members – these hours will be destroyed once and the rocket fire will end.
"We're not doing this gladly or with pleasure; we are doing it in order to defend Israel's citizens. The situation in the south, if we don’t act as we demand, will worsen as we are witnessing in day to day life."
Yishai added that the Palestinians don’t want peace and that Israel should stop being eager. "This raises the price and moves peace away."
