Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that in his next term he will work to “encourage the migration” of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Essentially, this is the idea of expelling Palestinians.
This idea, which critics say represents ethnic cleansing, has been supported several times by far-right leaders, including Smotrich, after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, but has mainly been focused on Gaza.
Smotrich's statement marks a relatively rare case where a senior Israeli politician expresses a desire for this controversial objective to be extended to the West Bank, reports the Times. timesofisrael.
The minister made the statement at a rally of his far-right Religious Zionism party, where he presented, as he said, the objectives of the future government, including the abrogation of the 1990s Oslo Accords and the implementation of Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank, a step akin to annexation.
"Let's destroy the idea of an Arab terrorist state; finally, formally and practically, annul the damned Oslo Accords and move towards sovereignty, encouraging migration from both Gaza and Judea and Samaria. There is no other long-term solution," said Smotrich, as he was applauded by those present in the hall.
Elections are expected to be held by October. Smotrich's party has consistently ranked around or below the electoral threshold in polls. /Telegraph/
