Given the recently expressed desire by two Israeli ministers for the repopulation of the Gaza Strip, the tone is now becoming tense between the governments in Washington and Jerusalem. The US State Department criticized the possible expulsion of Palestinians. Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir then clarified: “The United States is our best friend, but first and foremost we will do what is best for the State of Israel.”
Ben Gvir had described the withdrawal of the Palestinians and the restoration of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip as “a correct, just, moral and humane solution.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had suggested that Israel should “encourage” Palestinians in the area to move to other countries.
“Return of Israeli residents”
“The relocation of hundreds of thousands of Gazans” would allow Israeli residents of the Gaza Strip to “return home and live in safety,” argued the security minister of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party.
“The United States rejects recent statements by Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir supporting the relocation of Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in Washington on Tuesday.
“This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible,” Miller continued. The Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have repeatedly assured that such statements do not represent the government’s line, Miller emphasized. “You must stop immediately.” The Gaza Strip is Palestinian land and will remain so if Hamas is no longer in control there.
Dream of “Great Israel”
Smotrich is considered a supporter of the ‘Greater Israel’ vision and also advocates an annexation of the West Bank. The Palestinians, on the other hand, claim the West Bank, Gaza and the Arab-dominated eastern part of Jerusalem as the territory of a future state of their own. Israel conquered the areas in 1967.
In 2005, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip and more than twenty Israeli settlements were evacuated. For the United Nations, the Gaza Strip remains territory occupied by Israel because it controls all access points except one border crossing. Israel claims the occupation ended with the withdrawal in 2005.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
