Religious Zionist Party MK Ohad Tal says Israel has a historic opportunity to extend sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and establish Jewish communities in Gaza, arguing that the country must complete its military objectives and ensure that the October 7 massacre comes at a price for Hamas. In an interview with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, Tal described the upcoming elections as critical for Israel's future, saying they would determine whether the country remains a Jewish state and whether it pursues what he called decisive victory on all fronts.
“Every election, they're saying that this is the most critical election in the history of this country. But I think that this time it's actually true," Tal said. “It is really critical for the future of this country. We haven't finished the job, not in Lebanon, not in Gaza, definitely not in Iran, and we have to complete the mission."
Asked how he responds to voters who question why Israel has not achieved victory after nearly three years of war, Tal argued that dismantling the regional network of threats built up around Israel over decades takes time.
“Breaking this ring of fire that surrounded us and was built in decades, with so much investment and money, doesn't take a short time to solve," he said. “Thank God, I think we have massive achievements."
Tal pointed to what he described as significant military gains, including Israel's control of more than 60% of the Gaza Strip, approximately 600 square kilometers in Lebanon and 400 square kilometers in Syria. He also highlighted the Israeli Air Force's ability to strike targets thousands of kilometers away.
“We are seeing so many countries from this area, from the Middle East and from other places in the world, who are coming to us and begging us to support them, to help them with intelligence," he said. “I think Israel is becoming a global superpower, and we still have missions to accomplish."
Tal also expressed optimism about the possibility of extending Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, describing the next two years as a historic opportunity to advance the move. “There's definitely a huge historic opportunity that awaits us in these two years," he said.
Tal said he believed the Trump administration could play a significant role in advancing sovereignty, citing his understanding of discussions involving people close to the US president.
“I know it from the people who are the closest people to President Trump, that he tells them that he wants to leave behind something significant that he will do. After these two years of President Trump, we should expect a president who will be much less friendly to Israel," he said. “He'll push Israel for concessions and, if it will be a Democratic president, for sure he'll push us to go for negotiations with the Palestinians for a two-state solution."
Asked about the possibility of an Iranian attack or other developments that could disrupt the elections, Tal said he hoped such a scenario would not materialize. However, as a member of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, he said he had participated in discussions about Iranian efforts to interfere with the vote.
“We had long discussions only in the last week, the last couple of days, about Iran's attempts to destroy or interfere with our elections," he said. "We are not just waiting for that to happen to respond to that. We are working behind the scenes to try and ruin their plans."
On the war in Gaza, Tal said Israel's first priority must be the complete eradication of Hamas, arguing that Israel cannot rely on an international force to accomplish the mission on its behalf. “First of all, we have to eradicate Hamas. That's number one," he said. “We promised our people that after what happened on October 7, we have to eradicate Hamas. After October 7, this war has to come up with some kind of a price."
He cited Egypt's military buildup as an example of why Israel must consider the long-term implications of its decisions. “If they understand the message that you can initiate a war, and if you won, you won, and if you lost, nothing happened because Israelis will always withdraw back and you pay no price, then there has to be a price," he said. “These 60% that we are now holding in Gaza should be kept in our hands," he said. “We should apply sovereignty over that area, and we should establish Jewish communities there. That's the only solution that will secure our future in that region."
Tal also discussed the importance of reaching English-speaking voters during the campaign. He said the increase in immigration to Israel in recent years had brought many newcomers who were familiar with Netanyahu but less knowledgeable about the country's other political leaders and its multiparty system. “Thank God, a lot of people came back home, and they don't know so much about what is happening here in the political sphere. They know Netanyahu. They don't know many of the other leaders of the parties. Those coming from America know only two parties. They don't understand why you need all these small parties."
Nevertheless, he said he sees considerable interest among English-speaking voters, many of whom come from religious or traditional backgrounds and identify strongly with Zionism. “I think there's a lot of curiosity," Tal said. “Many of the new immigrants are religious in background or traditional, and also very Zionist."