Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich lashed out at US President Joe Biden this Wednesday for Biden’s emphasis on the need for a two-state solution.
This Wednesday, and in yet another case of resentment between Israeli officials with decision makers in Washington, far-right Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich rebuked US President Joe Biden for his emphasis on the need for a two-state solution, describing the idea as “suicide” for Israel.
The United States has been pushing Israel towards suicide for years by promoting a two-state solution,” Smotrich said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 14 on Wednesday night.
A day before on Tuesday, Biden had that said Israel should be mindful of changing global sentiment in its efforts to dismantle the Palestinian group, Hamas. Addressing the audience, including Holocaust survivors, Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, and members of Congress, Biden expressed concern about the rising global anti-Semitism and received applause for the administration’s aid efforts for Gaza.
“We continue to provide military assistance until they get rid of Hamas, but we have to be careful. The whole world, public opinion can shift overnight. We can’t let that happen, and we must work to materialize the two-state solution to bring permanent peace to the whole region,” Biden said.
Criticizing Israeli top officials, including Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, Biden also asserted that they and their companions do not want anything to do with the two-state solution; they only want revenge on all Palestinians.”
‘Voluntary Migration’, another creative suggestion from Smotrich!
In addition to strongly opposing the idea of the two-state solution, Smotrich also welcomed the idea of “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, calling it the “right humanitarian solution.”
The idea was first proposed by Israeli lawmakers, Danny Danon, the former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. Last week on Friday, Danon recommended in an article published by the Wall Street Journal that some of Gaza’s besieged Palestinian population be taken in by countries that would accept them.
In a statement on Facebook, Israel’s Finance Minister said that “I welcome the initiative of Danny Danon on the voluntary immigration of Gaza Arabs to the countries of the world. This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region.” Smotrich even asserted that the “state of Israel will no longer be able to put up with the existence of an independent entity in Gaza”.
A leaked document last month showed that Israel did have such a plan in mind and it was in fact a key policy for Netanyahu’s government to exile Gaza’s Palestinian population into Egypt’s Sinai desert and then scatter those new refugees around the world.
Last but not least, Smotrich also urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant this Saturday to prohibit Palestinians in the West Bank from harvesting their olive crop in a move to put even more pressure on Palestinians to evacuate their lands.
“Israel needs to establish sterile security zones with no Palestinian presence around settlements and settler-only roads. The aim is to prevent Palestinian farmers from having access to their olive groves in the occupied territory,” Smotrich said.
