Hezi Nechama Confirms Walla Report: "If Erdan Establishes a Party, I Will Be Happy to Join"

Reserve Colonel Hezi Nechama, former commander of the Alexandroni and Menashe brigades, confirmed today (Thursday), following a report on the Walla website, that he would join Gilad Erdan's party if it is established. He made these remarks during a conversation with 103fm radio.

"Gilad Erdan and I are in contact. I highly value him, and if he eventually establishes a party, I would be happy to join him. Throughout my adult life, I have tried to engage in what I believe can bring benefit to the people of Israel and the State of Israel, and if Gilad and others think I can be useful there, I would be happy to lend a shoulder to this effort. There is a relevant offer, and for my part, I am ready, although I understand that it may come at a personal and family cost, but I have paid quite a few prices in recent years and I am ready."

Nechama continued, describing the agreement between him and Erdan: "Gilad is a principled, worthy man, consistent in his messages for the 30 years he has been in politics. I believe in the need to create connections within Israeli society, the need to bring something broad that unites and brings together. Religious Zionism has done great things in settlement, but my path is a bit different. He wants to create a good starting team. I estimate that the important decisions will be made closer to the submission of the lists; everyone will understand what their strength is and with whom it is worth uniting. I am not well-versed in the political world; I will take my first steps and I will learn."

According to his doctrine, a multinational force in the Gaza Strip would send the wrong signal to Hamas and would limit the IDF's freedom of action:

"I must admit that I oppose this action. The moment a multinational force enters Gaza, it is a signal to Hamas that we are starting a new phase. Secondly, it will limit the IDF's ability to operate; it will hesitate before firing anywhere because there will be foreign soldiers there."

"I must admit that if I were to decide on a pilot of this kind, I would do it on our side of the yellow line. We really need to start creating an alternative for the Gazan residents, but it needs to be on our side of the yellow line, and then there is the ability to control what happens there; we have the ability to ensure that every Gazan citizen who arrives in this area does not return to the hands of Hamas. Once everything gets mixed up there, it will be much more complex," he added.