Arab foreign ministries condemn Israeli minister's remarks over "wiping out" Palestinian village
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Dubai: The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) condemned the "racist comments" of Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich who called for the destruction of Huwara, a village in Palestine.
The MoFAIC said the UAE rejects all practices that contradict moral and human values and principles, reported WAM. The ministry also focused on the need to confront hate speech and violence. "It is important to strengthen “the values of tolerance and human coexistence” in an effort to reduce instability in the region."
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the remarks and called them "inflammatory". Ambassador Sinan Majali, said the calls for violence "portend serious consequences and represent a violation of international humanitarian law," reported Petra.
Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement on Friday saying it condemns the comments in the "strongest terms". It said the comments represent a "dangerous and unacceptable incitement to violence" and it contradicts "all laws, customs and moral values, and lacks the responsibility that any official holding an official position should have."
All three Arab nations said it is important to support regional and international efforts to advance the Middle East Peace Process and end illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution. Both are aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Smotrich on Wednesday spoke to the media and said the Huwara village had to be demolished following the violence. He later claimed that his words were taken out of context and clarified that he believed the village had become "hostile" and was "turning into a terrorist haven."
He was last week put in charge of authority over the civilian life of settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank. He is an extreme advocate of annexing settlements to Israel. After a Palestinian gunman shot and killed two Israelis in the village of Huwara on Sunday, a mob of settlers initiated a riot in which cars and buildings were burnt and residents were hurt. Smotrich responded by liking a tweet to "wipe out" the village. He also endorsed a set of tweets calling for collective punishment. In his own tweet, he addressed his "settler brothers" decrying the rampaging.
When a journalist asked about his response, he said "Because I think the village of Huwara should be wiped out, I think that the state of Israel should do it." He later went back on his words and said "To remove any doubt, in my words I did not mean wiping out the village of Huwara, but rather acting in a targeted way against terrorists and supporters of terror, and exacting a heavy price from them in order to return security to local residents."
