US Slams Israeli Ministers' Statements On Resettlement Of Palestinians Outside Gaza

By -

 

Israeli PM Netanyahu attends an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line, in Petah Tikva

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023.


WASHINGTON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Tuesday slammed recent statements from Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir that advocated for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza, calling the rhetoric "inflammatory and irresponsible."

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The comments from the ministers appeared to underscore fears in much of the Arab world that Israel wants to drive Palestinians out of land where they want to build a future state, repeating the mass dispossession of Palestinians when Israel was created in 1948.

Finance Minister Smotrich, one of the senior figures in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition, called on Sunday for Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave the besieged enclave. National Security Minister Ben-Gvir also said the war in Gaza presented an "opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza."

KEY QUOTES

"This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible. We have been told repeatedly and consistently by the government of Israel, including by the Prime Minister, that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government," the State Department said in a statement, saying such statements should "stop immediately."

"We have been clear, consistent, and unequivocal that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and with no terror groups able to threaten Israel."

CONTEXT

Smotrich's hard-right Religious Zionism Party draws support from Israel's settler community and helped Netanyahu secure the majority he needed to become prime minister for the sixth time a year ago.

Remarks previously from Ben-Gvir have also irked U.S. President Joe Biden, who said in December the Israeli minister and his allies want to have "retribution" against all Palestinians.

Palestinian Islamist group Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed over 22,000 people, according to the local health ministry.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Characters In BBC’s Documentary On TB Joshua Unknown To Us – Synagogue Church

By -
Image
  The Synagogue Church of all Nations (SCOAN) has countered the BBC documentary on the late Temitope Babatunde Joshua, known as TB Joshua, founder of SCOAN. SCOAN described the documentary against TB Joshua as unfounded, and that the characters interviewed in the report were unknown to the church. The church, in a statement signed by its Public Affairs Director, Mr Dare Adejumo, said the statement was aimed at disabusing public minds from the report. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the BBC released a highly controversial and damning documentary on the late TB Joshua on Monday, accusing him of various crimes, including rape, against some members. SCOAN said, “BBC World Services investigative unit, code-named Africa Eye, came out this week with weird and strange episodes of atrocities against the late founder of SCOAN.” It said that to investigate and publish or broadcast reports was a central kernel of journalism, but to do so outside the ethics and fundamental principles
Read more

NBA Suspends Canada’s Joshua Primo For 4 Games For Exposing Himself To Women

By -
Image
  The NBA has suspended former San Antonio Spurs guard  Joshua Primo   for four games   ... after it says it found he exposed his private parts to multiple women. The league announced the ban on Friday morning ... saying an investigation into the free agent revealed he had "engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior." NBA officials called his actions "conduct detrimental to the league." They did, however, note that they "did not find evidence that he engaged in any sexual or other misconduct apart from these brief exposures." "Primo maintains that his conduct was not intentional," the league said. Dr. Hillary Cauthen , Primo's former therapist, was the first to  bring the allegations  against Primo to light after she claimed last fall that he exposed himself to her on nine separate occasions. Dr. Cauthen's attorney,  Tony Buzbee , alleged the Spurs were aware of Primo's actions, but didn't take action. Cauthen went on to file
Read more

Sky Sports' On-Air Mix-Up: Chelsea Players Mistakenly Introduced as Axel Disasi Instead of Noni Madueke in Carabao Cup Semifinal

By -
Image
 Sky Sports were left red-faced after an on-screen graphic mistakenly introduced Chelsea defender Axel Disasi as Noni Madueke on Tuesday night. The pair were both the scoresheet as the Blues thrashed Middlesbrough 6-1 at Stamford Bridge in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final to boo their place at Wembley. But when Disasi spoke to Sky Sports after the game, an on-screen graphic introduced him as Madueke instead. Madueke is four years younger than his Chelsea teammate, plays in a different role and is English, while Disasi is French. Viewers immediately spotted the mistake and took to social media to flag up the glaring error.  Sky Sports with a huge mistake as that is Axel Disasi, not Noni Madueke,' another added, while a third described the gaffe as a 'howler'. A fourth commented: 'Sky sports calling Disasi Madueke. They’ve done it again.' Disasi scored Chelsea's third goal in the 6-1 rout, converting Raheem Sterling's cross at the far post after th
Read more