According to the news of Channel12 from Israel, which is based on a high-level political source, after Smotrich, who is planned to visit Washington soon, said that “Israel should wipe the Palestinian territory from the face of the earth”, the US officials called it “persona non-grata”. It was shared that he was seen as (unwanted man).
Stating that the US administration was not satisfied with Smotrich before, the political source said, “Smotrich was persona non grata before this statement, now he is a person with hormones on the disgrace that comes out of his mouth. After using these statements, the phones did not go silent in Jerusalem, no American official. He doesn’t want to meet with her,” he said.
The allegation that the American Ambassador said he “wanted to throw Smotrich out of the plane”
In the news, which pointed out that the Israeli Finance Minister is scheduled to attend an economic conference to be held in Washington on March 12-14, US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said about Smotrich, “I am very angry with him, he is a complete idiot. He has a plane ticket, if I could, I would throw him out of the plane”.
It was shared that the US Embassy in Israel initially refrained from commenting on the statements attributed to Nides, but later denied these words.
In the news, it was commented that the US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price’s characterization of Smotrich’s words as “disgusting and irresponsible” in his daily press briefing revealed Washington’s stance, and that “if such a statement was made in public, the attitude would be tougher behind closed doors”.
Jewish diaspora in the USA reacts to Smotrich
In addition, it was reported that 120 leaders from the USA, including former leaders of comprehensive Jewish organizations, called on Smotrich not to be given a platform among themselves.
In a joint statement signed by Jewish leaders, including former chairmen of the pro-Israel American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), and the New York-based Anti-Defamation and Denial Association (ADL), hosting Smotrich in the United States after his statements said that “it does not benefit Israel.” They said they thought it would cause harm.
In the statement, “Smotrich has long expressed his views that disgust US Jews, including racism against Arabs, a sickly homophobia, a mouthful of Jewish supremacism. To this list is now added to support violence against innocents based on their ethnic identity.” statements were included.
Tensions high in the West Bank
The raid by Israeli forces on Nablus, in the north of the occupied West Bank, from several points on February 22, once again escalated the tension in the region. In the raid of the Israeli army, 11 Palestinians lost their lives and hundreds were injured.
On February 26, two Jewish settlers were killed in an armed attack in the northern West Bank town of Huwwara.
In the evening of the same day, hundreds of Jewish settlers came to the town of Huwwara under the supervision of the Israeli army and carried out “mass revenge” attacks against the Palestinians.
Settlers had set fire to dozens of houses and cars in the town, attacked Palestinians, and stoned their houses. As a result of the attack of the Jewish settlers, a Palestinian lost his life and many people were injured in the incidents.
It was reported that the Israeli army did not prevent these attacks of the Jewish settlers, but used force against the Palestinians.
While the attacks drew great reactions from some sections of Israel as well as the international community, a group of Israeli lawyers filed a criminal complaint against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who supported the attacks, and some far-right deputies on the grounds that they “encouraged war crimes”.
The leader of the Religious Zionism Party, Smotrich, said in a panel speech, regarding the mass attacks of Jewish settlers against the Palestinians in the town of Huwwara south of Nablus on February 26, “I think the town of Huwara should be wiped out from the face of the earth. I think the State of Israel should do this. This, God forbid, by the hand of the citizen. should not be done”.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, which came to power at the end of 2022, was appointed to critical positions, supporters of Jewish settlers, known for their racist and discriminatory actions and discourses against Palestinians.
As a result of Israeli soldiers or settlers opening fire, 68 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed since the beginning of the year.