Smotrich doubles down on resettlement of Gazans, calling it ‘a humanitarian solution’

Following the US State Department’s condemnation of calls to resettle Palestinians outside of Gaza, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich continues to advocate for shrinking the Palestinian population of Gaza, claiming that “more than 70 percent of the Israeli public today supports” such “a humanitarian solution.”

Smotrich does not provide a source for this statistic.

In a statement, the leader of the nationalist Religious Zionism party declares that there is broad public support for “the voluntary emigration of Gaza Arabs and their absorption in other countries.”

Such a policy is necessary because “a small country like ours cannot afford a reality where four minutes away from our communities there is a hotbed of hatred and terrorism, where two million people wake up every morning with aspiration for the destruction of the State of Israel and with a desire to slaughter and rape and murder Jews wherever they are.”

“We are required to rethink and share [ideas] with our friends in the international community that will bring peace, security and prosperity to all the peoples of the region,” he says.

In recent days, both Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have called for the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians, leading State Department spokesman Matthew Miller to call out both cabinet members for their “inflammatory and irresponsible” rhetoric.

Responding to the US criticism on Tuesday evening, Ben-Gvir stated that while he appreciated the United States, “with all due respect we are no longer a star on the American flag.”

“The United States is our best friend, but first of all we will do what is good for the State of Israel: the migration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza will allow the residents of the enclave to return home and live in security and protect the IDF soldiers.”