Israeli Minister's Statement "Palestinian Villages Must Be Eliminated" Sparks Conflict with US

US State Department Criticizes as "Hateful"

Recent violent clashes between Israel and Palestine in the West Bank along the Jordan River have increasingly escalated tensions between Israel and the United States.

On the 26th of last month, Jewish settlers opened fire on Palestinian residential areas, setting fire to homes and vehicles, resulting in one death and over 350 injuries.

On March 3, 2023, after Israeli settlers caused a disturbance in Huwara, West Bank, occupied by Israel, EU representatives and others visited a Palestinian household to inspect the site.
Photo by Reuters [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Following this, an Israeli minister with far-right views declared, "Palestinian villages must be wiped out," prompting an immediate response from the United States.

On the 1st, Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Minister of Finance, referenced the violent clashes at a conference hosted by the economic newspaper The Marker, stating, "I believe Palestinian villages must be wiped out. Since God forbids individuals from acting, the state of Israel must do so," unleashing inflammatory remarks.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price condemned the statement during a briefing, calling it "irresponsible and hateful," and said, "Just as we condemn Palestinian incitement to violence, we also condemn provocative language that constitutes incitement to violence." He further demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and key government officials publicly disavow Minister Smotrich’s remarks.

In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu tweeted in Hebrew, "No one can be without fault. Including foreign diplomats~"

Minister Smotrich took a step back, saying, "(The statement about wiping out the village of Huwara) was a slip of the tongue in a flood of emotions, and the choice of words may have been inappropriate," but added, "Ambassador Niz is also unlikely to have been inciting me to kill."

Israeli media reported that Ambassador Niz targeted Minister Smotrich, saying, "If I were on a plane to Washington with Minister Smotrich, CEO of Israel Bonds, I would throw him out of the plane."

The violent situation between Israel and Palestine has recently been rapidly intensifying. This year alone, 62 Palestinian residents have died during Israeli military operations.