Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has made a series of controversial remarks outlining Israel’s long-term approach to Palestinians and the Gaza Strip, according to comments reported by Clash Report.
Smotrich said Israel should take advantage of what he described as a “friendly” US administration and a right-wing government in Israel to reshape the political landscape.
“I think that in this term, de facto, we are killing the idea of a Palestinian state,” he said, adding that Israel should “effectively kill the idea” of establishing a Palestinian state “in the heart of the Land of Israel”.
Turning to Gaza, he argued that for what he described as long-term security, the territory should be “resettled” and that migration should be encouraged to reduce its population, which he estimated at around 1.8 million people.
“If we want long-term security, then Gaza needs to be settled. We also need to encourage migration — to remove 1.8 million, or however many are left,” he said. “Gaza needs to be resettled. Settlement brings security.”
By Aghakazim Guliyev
