Isaac Herzog
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Herzog to Netanyahu: You failed to cripple Hamas
Head of center-left camp attempts to hit prime minister on his go-to talking point – security – saying Netanyahu was weak on Hamas, let them grow strong.
Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog – currently the main contender to replace Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel's prime minister – took aim at the hawkish leader's security policy, blasting him for being weak on Hamas, the terror group ruling Gaza with which Israel locked horns in a 50-day war over the summer.
"For years Hamas has been tunneling under our communities near the Gaza border. And what did you do? You waited, stalled and hesitated," Herzog said in a new video.
The comments follow Herzog's participation in the Munich Security Conference Saturday, where he laid out his regional security policy, which he said would focus on creating a regional alliance to fight extremist terrorism and Iran.
The comments mark a shift in the Zionist Camp's campaign, which has until now focused almost solely on soci-economic issues. Now, as the March 17 elections near, the camp seems to be taking aim at Netanyahu's bread and butter issue – security.
In what seems to be a bid to undermine his self-selected epitaph of 'Mr. Security', Herzog said Netanyahu's government was weak during Israel's Operation Protective Edge – the 50 day summer war between the two sides which saw 70 Israelis and over 2000 Palestinians killed.
"We should have hit them hard and when the time was right… in the meantime Hamas tunneled under our communities. Why did you wait?"
"Our boys showed extreme bravery. But you have failed," Herzog said.
"What did Israel gain from the war with Hamas? Did you destroy Hamas? No, Hamas grew stronger," he concluded.
