'Israel's freedom of action is not subject to negotiation,' says Israeli lawmaker

Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Yitzhak Kroizer told JNS on Tuesday that he opposes any negotiations with the enemy as a matter of principle, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of the resumption of talks with Iran.

Trump did not say where the talks would take place or who would participate. Asked whether he had set a deadline for Tehran to reach a deal, the president declined to provide a direct answer.

“An enemy is to be eliminated, not negotiated with,” said Kroizer.

The regime in Tehran, Kroizer argued, is not a political rival with which compromise is possible, but rather one that has repeatedly declared its intention to destroy both Israel and the United States, referring to them as the “Little Satan” and the “Great Satan,” respectively.

Moreover, he said, Iran has actively pursued that objective through its nuclear program, ballistic missile development and financial support for terror proxies surrounding Israel.

“When an enemy tells you what they intend to do, you must believe them. That is one of the central lessons of Oct. 7, and we paid in blood for failing to internalize it,” said Kroizer, referring to the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

While Israel respects Trump’s duty to protect U.S. interests, Jerusalem must also consider that Washington’s priorities do not always coincide with its own and that Israel will bear the consequences of any resulting gap, Kroizer told JNS.

“That is why I say again, plainly: Israel’s freedom of action is not subject to negotiation, and it will not be traded away at any table,” he added.

He further argued that a key point often overlooked is that time is on Israel’s side and working against Iran.

“Their economy is paralyzed. Their trade is frozen. The regime cannot supply its own citizens with basic services, and their fear of targeted action by Israel is tangible, daily and real,” he continued. “It follows that President Trump’s willingness to wage a prolonged campaign is the right approach. The pressure itself is the strategic asset; it must not be squandered for a signature on a document.”

According to Kroizer, Israel is economically, mentally and socially prepared for a prolonged and demanding campaign, while Tehran and terrorist organizations miscalculated by assuming Israeli society would break after a few months.

The objective, he said, must remain the complete elimination of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, ballistic missile program and funding for its proxies, including Hezbollah, the Houthis and other regional terror groups.

“Not sanctions relief. Not interim agreements. Not a ceremonial photo-op. Those three threat vectors must be dismantled entirely. The day they disappear, the ayatollahs’ regime will fall with them, because those very capabilities are what keep it in power,” he said.

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