France slams Smotrich’s ‘infuriating’ claim that Palestinian nation doesn’t exist

France calls Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s assertion in Paris on Sunday that the Palestinian people do not exist “infuriating and irresponsible.”

“We call on those who were called to senior positions in the Israeli government to show the appropriate respect, to treat others with respect, and to avoid any action or statement that contributes to an escalation in tensions,” says French foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre in response to a question.

Standing behind a map of “Greater Israel” that includes modern-day Jordan at a memorial event for a Zionist activist, Smotrich said that the Palestinian people were “an invention” from the last century, and that there was “no such thing as Palestinians because there’s no such thing as the Palestinian people.”