How do you see the relationship between Israel and Hungary?

- I must tell you that the last time I was there, I was so shocked seeing the unprecedented support that Israel has in Hungary. I remember we met with Viktor Orban, of course, and with the speaker of the House in your country. He gave a speech about conservative values and about the role Israel is playing in this triangle that he described as Hungary, the United States, and Israel. That was a big surprise because, usually, in Israel, we know Europe is not so favorable of our nation. There is no doubt that Hungary is very different. I think we'll see more and more changes as Europe realizes that we are at the forefront of the same struggle.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently fired the chief of Shin Bet and the attorney general for their alleged connection to the so-called deep state. He explained that the deep state is trying to weaponize the justice system and use it against the will of the people. How do you see the deep state in Israel? Do they pose as big of a danger to right-wing governing as Netanyahu says?

- It is a disease that is spreading all over the world. In all Western countries, we are seeing the mostly progressive left deep state operating. It tries to take control, although they do not succeed much in the national elections Its way of getting control and influence is by grabbing government positions and holding onto them and by weaponizing the judicial system. They are also active in the media, the army, and academia.

We don't want just to be a liberal democracy. No, we want to be a democracy that fights for its nation.

And I think that's extremely important. For 76 years, since its establishment, this country was controlled by the left. Although sometimes they allowed us to have right-wing or partially right-wing governments, they always made sure that we would not have the ability to influence or to change the policies. This government, for the first time in 76 years, is trying to implement right-wing policies. They don’t like it, so they're trying to fight back.

Isn’t it surprising that the head of the Shin Bet organisation was part of this? I read recently that Ronen Bar's activities were even linked to a coup attempt.

-It's not surprising at all. Unfortunately, we are talking about very closed clubs in the Supreme Court, the military and security organisations, as well as in the academic and media sectors. Let me give you an example. I represent the religious Zionists here in Israel. The majority of low-ranking officers and soldiers are religious Zionists, but we never see one in a senior command position. Why? Because they are not allowed above a certain level within the army. The same is true of the Shin Bet, the media, and academia. They would never allow right-wing conservative people into senior positions. But the time has come to drain the swamps. We are working on it, and it is time for conservatives worldwide to join forces against the progressive woke culture that seeks to destroy everything we hold dear.

The most divisive issue in recent days and weeks has been the continuation of the war in Gaza. Most media outlets have reported that Israel has broken the ceasefire and is accused of bombing civilians. I understand you did not support the hostage deal. What do you think about the current situation, and what would it take to bring all the hostages home?

- Those who have tried to blame Israel for the bombing of Gaza and the ceasefire violations have a broken moral compass. I would like to remind everyone here: We did not start this war. We hate wars. I wish we didn't have to fight, but what can we do? This radical jihadist organisation invaded Israel on 7 October, intending to destroy it completely. They massacred 1200 of our people, they burned entire families alive. Mothers were raped in front of their families, then shot in the head and their entire families' houses set on fire. That was the beginning. Then, they kidnapped 251 people and took them to Gaza.

Do they want to end the war? There is a simple way: tell us they will lay down their weapons and release the hostages.

The war would end at that moment. But they won't do that. So we resumed our activities, and we were right. As far as the hostages are concerned, we were already against the first stage of the hostage deal because we do not think it is a good idea to negotiate with terrorists. It sends a message to terrorists worldwide that the West is weak and will do anything to meet their demands. We should not communicate that. We must use force to make them return the hostages.

Anyone who thinks that Hamas will release all the hostages as part of the deal is delusional. They know full well that the moment the last hostage comes home, they are finished.

Still, the situation poses a moral dilemma: Will the continuation of the war leave any hope for the return of, for example, the Hungarian-Israeli hostages Omri Miran (alive) and Ilan Weisz (dead)?

At the beginning of the war, Israel set itself three objectives: the first was to wipe out Hamas, the second was to bring all the hostages home, and the third was to ensure that Gaza would not be a threat to Israel in the future. On these, there was complete consensus in Israel, not only in my party but also within the left-wing parties. Everyone understood that if we allow Hamas to remain in power, we know exactly what the future will bring. Billions of dollars will flow back into Gaza from the European Union, America, and the Gulf States. They will re-arm themselves because there is no one to stop them. Let me stress again: we are not negotiating with Switzerland.

There is no compromise with those who want to kill you. What is a compromise in this case? Do it only halfway?

If we do not eradicate them, we will have another 7 October. We have seen enough of this over the last 30 years; if we do the same thing, we will repeat our mistakes and end up with the same result. Perhaps we should change our strategy and find a real solution. Perhaps the time has come to get rid of Hamas and to say to the people of Gaza: We are opening the borders. If you want to leave the zone, here is your chance.

According to many, one of Israel's big mistakes is that it relies too much on the United States, even if the Trump administration's attitude is genuinely friendly. How do you see the need for more independence?

I agree that Israel should become much more independent and build more alliances around the world. It would be much healthier for us not to rely on just one country, however much America is Israel's best friend, especially under the Trump administration.

The UN resolutions consistently reject Israel's right to Judea-Samaria, thus depriving it of its biblical identity. However, Trump's election has also strengthened the case for a move towards extending Israeli sovereignty in the area, which would solve the problem.

The countries of the world must ask themselves one question: What do we want to see in the Middle East? Do we want to be drawn into a new wave of violence every year between the so-called Palestinians and the Israelis, or do we want to solve this problem once and for all? I believe that Israel has proved beyond any doubt that it is the most stable country in the region and that it can provide a good life for all. Today, 20% of Israel is made up of minorities. Can they be asked whether they would prefer to live in another country in the Middle East, such as Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, or Egypt? They would all say no way, we like Israel because we have a good life here. Forty percent of the students in our leading universities are Arab and Muslim. We can create real peace, stability, and prosperity for all our citizens.

Israel has already proved that we are not the problem but the solution to the challenges of the Middle East.

So, extending Israeli sovereignty not only works, but it is also the right thing to do from a historical and biblical perspective. They are trying to separate us from our biblical homeland. Hebron, Jerusalem, Shiloh, and Bethlehem are all places where our historical, biblical stories take place. For 19 years, between 1948 and 1967, the Palestinians never thought of establishing a Palestinian state here, even though they had land. Why not? The answer is simple: because they never really wanted a state. They see the lie of the two-state solution as just another way to destroy Israel. That is all.

Except that we are not willing to be destroyed. We are staying right where we are.