[ad_1]
Jerusalem (CNN) Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrik has prompted condemnation from the US just weeks after denying the existence of any Palestinian people or state over the weekend and calling for the “erasure” of Palestinian towns.
Jewish nationalist Smotrich argued that the idea of a Palestinian national identity was invented in the last century in response to the Zionist movement establishing modern Israel.
“Who was the first Palestinian king? What language do Palestinians speak? Was there a Palestinian currency? Is there a Palestinian history and culture? ” .
U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Monday objected to the comments, saying they would not help defuse tensions in the region.
Kirby told Israel’s Channel 13: “We categorically oppose such language. Also, trying to defuse tensions and find a viable two-state solution is very difficult. “We don’t want to see rhetoric, actions and rhetoric that get in the way or become an obstacle to a viable bilateral solution. Such language really does.” .”
The Palestinian Authority called Mr Smotrich’s comments “racist” and accused him of “trying to falsify history”.
In a statement, the PA claimed that Palestinians “have been on this land forever.”
Hamas, the radical Palestinian Islamist movement that runs Gaza and calls for the destruction of Israel, called Smotrich’s comments racist and described “fascist policies of expanding colonization and forced eviction of Palestinians”. and an occupying state was established: “Regarding Israel.
Smotrich’s appearance in Paris also caused diplomatic problems between Israel and Jordan. The podium on which he stood was covered with what appeared to be a variation of the Israeli flag displaying a magnified map of Israel, including most of the occupied West Bank, Gaza, and Jordan.
A spokesman for Smotrich said the flags used at the event he attended were “set decorations” placed there by the organizers of the conference, and the minister was just a guest, according to Reuters.
Jordan on Monday summoned the Israeli ambassador to Amman to protest Smotrich’s use of the map.
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs “warned of the seriousness of the continuation of these extreme racist actions, issued by the same minister who previously called for the elimination of the Palestinian village of Hwala.” It added that Smotrich’s actions violated the Jordan-Israel peace treaty.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Twitter that Israel was “committed to the 1994 peace agreement with Jordan”, adding that Israel was “aware of Jordan’s territorial integrity”.
The head of Israel’s National Security Council, Tsati Hanegbi, also said he had met with Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to reaffirm Israel’s commitment to Jordan’s territorial integrity and the Israel-Jordan peace treaty.
Smotrich’s comments came on the same day Israeli and Palestinian officials met in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh to try to defuse tensions ahead of the holidays of Ramadan and Passover. Among other agreements, both sides pledged to “develop mechanisms to curb and counter violence, sedition, and inflammatory statements and actions.”
The minister, who also has some powers over border crossings and Israeli units that manage Palestinian permits, has a long history of denying the existence of a Palestinian state and has previously spoken out about them, as well as the LGBTQ community. It has made controversial statements on other issues like rights.
Earlier this month, he made inflammatory comments that “we need to kill him” after two Israeli brothers were shot dead in a car in the town of Hwala in the Palestinian West Bank. retaliated, killing one Palestinian man. Smotrich later apologized, saying the remarks were made during an “emotional storm.”
Further reporting by Ibrahim Dahman from Gaza and Tatiana Arias and Amir Ahmed from Atlanta.
[ad_2]
Source link
