The Environmental minister called on the government to cut the power supply to Gaza during shortages in Israel. According to Erdan’s logic, it is absurd to provide power to a terrorist entity while we experience shortages.

Erdan knows very well that the government won’t leave Gaza without electricity, and thus he can engage safely in nationalist rhetoric. But more to the point, why should we cut electricity to Gaza? They can quickly bring diesel power plants, and in a few months build a grid from Egypt. Thus Israel would lose a lucrative monopoly, while remaining unable to punish Hamas’ voters economically.

The answer to power shortages in Israel does not lie in an embargo on Gaza, but in demonopolizing the industry, bringing in investments, and building new plants, and lifting the ban on developing nuclear power.

The $680 million in US aid for the Iron Dome was said to be enough to buy us three or four additional batteries. Yet, the cost of each battery is about $50 million. So the question is, where did half a billion dollars go?

The PA has published its official estimate of the number of descendants of refugees. Some 5 million live in the West, and presumably won’t come back. Four million live in the West Bank and Gaza, 1.4 million in Israel, and only 630,000 in other countries, which are those who might want to return to Israel.

The 4 million figure is vastly exaggerated. The Palestinians downplay their mortality rate to increase their UNRWA and foreign funding. Thus, realistically, the 630,000 figure is probably closer to half a million.

The Israeli government is right to reject their right to return to our cities, but the problem is that our own Arab population will increase by the same number in less than two decades.