Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sparked widespread condemnation on Monday after he claimed that there is no Palestinian history or culture and no such thing as a Palestinian people. During a speech at a conference in France, Smotrich, who heads a religious-nationalist party in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition, made his remarks, which were subsequently widely shared on social media.
The comments drew sharp rebuke from Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who characterized them as incitement to violence. Jordan, which made peace with Israel in 1994, summoned the Israeli ambassador to protest the remarks, describing them as “irresponsible provocative behaviour” that “pushes towards escalation.” The country’s foreign ministry called on the Israeli government to take a “clear and frank” stance, and a spokesperson for the ministry stated that the flag on stage beside Smotrich, which appeared to show an Israeli state with expanded boundaries that included the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza, and Jordan, was “unacceptable and provocative.”
Other countries and international organizations also condemned Smotrich’s remarks. The US National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, criticized the language, stating that it “fuels Jewish extremism and terrorism against our people.” The European Union described the comments as “dangerous and counterproductive,” while Egypt rejected them as well.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Via Bezalel Smotrich/Twitter)
Smotrich’s remarks are the latest in a series of incendiary comments by high-ranking Israeli officials. Earlier in the month, he drew international condemnation when he called for the “erasure” of a Palestinian town after a Palestinian gunman killed two Jewish settlers. While he later claimed to have “misspoken,” he did not apologize.
The current climate in the West Bank is tense, with confrontations between Israeli military forces and Palestinians on the rise. Over the past year, Israeli forces have killed more than 250 Palestinians, including fighters and civilians, while more than 40 Israelis and foreigners have died in Palestinian attacks.
The situation is further complicated by the ongoing stalemate in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which have been stalled since 2014. Palestinians seek to establish a state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, areas Israel captured in a 1967 war. Israel’s expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied land has undermined Palestinian hopes for a viable state, and the current situation seems unlikely to change in the near future.
