Jakarta –
Strong criticism was directed at an Israeli Minister because of his comments about Palestine. Minister of Finance Israel Bezalel Smotrich was criticized for calling the Palestinian people non-existent.
Reported ReutersOn Tuesday (21/3/2023), Smotrich sparked Jordan’s ire by speaking at a podium decorated with a variation of the Israeli flag showing the state of Israel with expanded borders to include the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza and Jordan.
“Is there any Palestinian history or culture? Nothing,” Smotrich said in a clip showing a speech delivered at a conference in France on Sunday (19/3) local time. The video was widely circulated on social media.
He said there were no Palestinians. His words then sparked criticism.
“There is no such thing as the Palestinian people,” he said.
Smotrich is known to lead a nationalist-religious party in a right-wing, radical government coalition. The coalition is led by Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu.
He made the controversial speech the same day Palestinian and Israeli officials met in Egypt. The meeting was held to discuss efforts to defuse the conflict ahead of the holy month of Ramadan and Easter.
Condemnation then rained down on Smotrich for his controversial statement. One of them came from Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh who warned that such statements amounted to incitement to violence.
In separate comments, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Israeli leaders’ denial of the existence of the Palestinian people and the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people has ‘encouraged an environment that fuels Jewish extremism and terrorism against our people’.
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(haf/haf)
