'You voted against bringing the hostages home': father of fallen soldier confronts Smotrich at ceremony
"Shame on you. Get off the stage. You voted against bringing the hostages back. You are disgracing the fallen who are not here. You cannot be here—you are not worthy of being here."
Eyal Eshel, the father of Staff Sergeant Roni Eshel, who was killed during Hamas' October 7 attack, confronted Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday during a cornerstone-laying ceremony for a new housing development in southern Israel, after the minister reiterated controversial remarks crediting himself with the return of Israeli hostages.
Speaking at the ceremony marking the start of construction of 1,000 housing units in the Eshkol Regional Council, Smotrich described the rebuilding effort as a symbol of Israel's resilience and declared: "Today we are sending a clear message to the world and to all our enemies: the people of Israel are not just recovering—they are thriving. Laying the cornerstone here in Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha is the strongest Zionist response. We are not satisfied with rebuilding what was destroyed; we are creating new, larger and more prosperous communities."
During his remarks, Smotrich also repeated his claim that the return of the hostages was possible "thanks to me"—a statement that had already sparked widespread backlash after he made it a day earlier in an interview on Nadav Perry's podcast.
Interrupting the minister's speech, Eshel shouted: "If you cared about me, you would have protected Roni, who was burned in the command center. You're not protecting me, and you don't love me at all."
He then called on Smotrich to leave the stage.
"Shame on you. Get off the stage. You voted against bringing the hostages back. You are disgracing the fallen who are not here. You cannot be here—you are not worthy of being here."
The ceremony took place amid protests outside Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha, where dozens of demonstrators gathered in response to Smotrich's hostage remarks and his opposition to hostage release deals during the war. Residents of Kibbutz Be'eri also reportedly opposed a planned visit by the finance minister to their community.
Earlier, Smotrich also said, "I think that if it were not for me, the war in Gaza would have ended even before Rafah. Thanks to me, all the hostages are here."
He argued that after the January 2025 hostage agreement, another proposal emerged that would have secured the release of only eight additional hostages. Smotrich said he drew a red line and informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would oppose such a deal, arguing it would have prolonged negotiations with Hamas.
The remarks drew sharp criticism, particularly because Smotrich voted against hostage release agreements during the war.
Former hostage Or Levi condemned the minister's comments in a social media post, writing: "If, when you say 'thanks to you,' you mean that hostages were murdered while you blocked deals, then yes. If you mean we weren't abused because of your words and those of your friends, then yes. But if you mean you didn't repeatedly declare that bringing the hostages home wasn't the most important goal, then no."
Speaking with demonstrators outside the ceremony, Eshkol Regional Council head Michal Oziahu acknowledged the controversy surrounding Smotrich's visit.
"There are statements that are difficult for me to hear as well," Oziahu said. "We have many honest conversations among ourselves, and there are many issues on which we simply do not agree."
The confrontation underscored the deep political and emotional divisions that continue to surround Israel's handling of the war, hostage negotiations and the country's recovery, even as reconstruction projects move forward in communities hardest hit by the October 7 attack.