Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said earlier this week his call to “wipe out” the West Bank city of Huwara was a “slip of the tongue” made in a “storm of emotion”.
Meanwhile, officials say the White House is discussing whether to grant Smotrich a visa for an upcoming US trip – but indicated they are unlikely to block his travel.
Speaking to Channel 12 news on Saturday evening, Smotrich, head of the far-right Religious Zionism party, said his “choice of words was wrong, but the intent was very clear” – that the war against Israeli security forces should be on the offensive. Panic.
Despite commenting three days after the incident, he said, “It was a slip of the tongue in a storm of emotion.” Smotrich claimed that it “goes without saying” that he did not intend to call for violence of any kind.
Smotrich declined to mention the actions of extremist settlers, who ransacked the Nablus-area city and torched homes and cars, resulting in one Palestinian being shot dead and several badly injured. Gone, in the form of terror.
He said that the violence was “a very serious nationalist crime, but not terror,” also calling Huwara a “village engulfed in terror.”
Cars burned by settlers during riots in Hawara in the West Bank, near Nablus, on February 27, 2023. (Eric Marmor/Flash90)
In a conference on Wednesday, smotrich said He thinks that “the village of Huwara needs to be eradicated. I think the State of Israel should do it” and that “God forbid,” this work should not be done by private citizens: “We don’t want to be in that chaos.” should be dragged into which citizens take the law into their own hands.”
His comments drew fierce condemnation in Israel and around the world, with the US calling the comments “disgusting” and “disgusting” and the United Nations saying they were “provocative, inflammatory and simply unacceptable.” Similar condemnation came from Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia and others.
However, Smotrich is scheduled to visit the US next week, where he will attend an Israel bond conference. many calls In jewish community After the inflammatory comments, he has started growing uninvited.
the White House said thursday that US government officials would not meet with Smotrich during his visit.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attending a government meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on January 8, 2023. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
An official familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that the Biden administration has discussed whether to grant Smotrich a visa to enter the US after he “wiped out” a Palestinian town.
The official confirmed a Channel 12 interview revealing the discussions were on, but insisted no decisions had been made.
A second source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel that the US is unlikely to actually block Smotrich’s entry and noted that the White House was unlikely to announce on Thursday that US government officials would contact Smotrich. Will not meet when he is in this city. In the month the administration intended to take steps to deny him a visa.
In a Channel 12 interview on Saturday, Smotrich said he has been the subject of a “monstrous” campaign in Israel and around the world for years, and accused media figures in the US and other international authorities of not siding with him.
When Smotrich visited the UK last year, the Board of Deputies Jewish umbrella group issued abnormally condemning an Israeli politician, dismissing his “hateful views” and calling on “all members of the British Jewish community to show him the door”. Bezalel, get back on the plane, and you will be remembered forever in infamy.”
