Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich rejects a reported US plan to present a framework peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians in the next few weeks that would recognize a Palestinian state.
“We will never agree, under any circumstances to this plan that basically says the Palestinians deserve a prize for the terrible massacre they carried out against us: A Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem,” Smotrich posts on X with a link to a report on the emerging plan.
“The message is that it pays to slaughter citizens of Israel,” the far-right minister says.
“A Palestinian state is an existential threat to the State of Israel as was proved on October 7. Kfar Saba will not become Kfar Aza,” he says, referencing a central Israeli city that lies just a few miles from the West Bank, and a Gaza border community that was overrun by Hamas.
Smotrich says he will demand that the security cabinet adopt a decision when it meets later today that it is opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state, and he expects clear support for the move from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Unity party ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 15, 2024
