Brig.-Gen. (res.) Dedi Simchi announced this week that he has decided to enter the political arena. In a conversation with Ben Caspit and Yinon Magal on 103FM, he addressed his decision, stating that it is a move aimed at influencing from within.
"I don't know what else I am doing, but I made the decision to enter and influence from the political arena," Simchi said. "In my opinion, it's no longer possible to sit on the sidelines. I really don't know if I am establishing a party. I am examining all the options and will ultimately choose the best one."
When asked about his political move, Simchi said: "From our research, people want connections, and that’s what needs to be done. It’s possible, and we’ll do it. All the external players competing outside the lines are talking, but a large portion of them are still keeping their cards close to their chest."
Regarding the possibility of being appointed to the Likud party, he replied: "All options are relevant. I think we need to stop talking in blocs. I see myself as the unifying bloc; I believe it's possible to unite the blocs. I am not ruling out anything. I am talking to everyone."
On the political system, Simchi added: "Anything related to the Arab parties is irrelevant in the coming years. They made a fatal mistake by not explicitly condemning what happened on October 7 from every possible platform, and not recognizing Israel as a state, not the state of Israel, but as the state of the Jews."
He also mentioned that he had previously spoken with Benjamin Netanyahu, saying: "The last time I spoke with Netanyahu was when he offered me the role of national project manager two years ago." He added, "There is an Arab population here, and if they want to live with us, that’s fine. The State of Israel is a Jewish and democratic state."
Regarding his political future, Simchi stated: "The plan is to know when elections will be held and make operational decisions. I think we need to create a broad Zionist government, and it is possible to do so. I am not naive." He further addressed rumors about a potential alliance with Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, saying, "Ofer and I have been good friends for decades; we fought together in Gaza. I think he’s a serious guy. We are talking, but there are no agreements for now."
'We need to respect the rules of democracy'
Simchi emphasized: "I will pass the electoral threshold clearly... We will go with whatever the people decide. We need to respect the rules of democracy. If the prime minister is elected by the people, then democracy is democracy all the way. The only thing that could change a democratic decision is a commission of inquiry. The people of Israel will have their say."
He also addressed the conscription law, saying, "I think the current conscription law is the beginning of something good. It needs to be fixed and improved. I don’t want to get into all the nuances. Overall, this law starts an excellent process. Drafting the haredim is important, and so is the Arab population, but it requires a cultural change.
"I think with a few nonessential amendments, we can pass this law and begin drafting," added Simchi. "If they recruit 100,000 haredim, there will be another 100,000 kosher supervisors, and that’s not what we want. To get people to enlist in Golani, the Hashmonaim, pilots, 8200, that’s a cultural change."
Finally, Simchi addressed the appointment of Roman Gofman as head of the Mossad, saying, "I think it’s a mistake, and if the Grunis Committee approved his appointment, then it should be approved. The same person who opposed Gofman also opposed Miara, and in the end, we are supposed to be a law-abiding state. It doesn’t look good, and it’s clear to me that he wants a Mossad head who comes from within the Mossad."
"If he had something to say, he should have said it to the prime minister in the context of the good relations between them, in my opinion, and not done what he did," continued Simchi. "It seems inappropriate to me. The same things were said about Meir Dagan, and after seven years, they said he was the best Mossad head. If they said Gofman’s judgment was flawed, and he took for himself and his family, that’s one thing, but if I see that we need to stop a galloping horse, I prefer a galloping horse to a lazy ox."