The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt condemned this morning (Friday) the statement of the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, who stated that “the state should erase Hvara”. The official announcement states that “these statements represent a dangerous and unacceptable incitement to violence, which are against all agreed upon laws and moral values. These statements do not have the responsibility that any person holding an official position should have.”
It was also stated in the official announcement that “the crisis also confirms the Egyptian position calling for an end to provocative and inciting actions against the Palestinian people, and to put an end to unilateral measures, with the aim of achieving peace between the Palestinian and Israeli sides. Egypt calls for the renewal of the peace process between the parties, based on principle The two countries and the international decisions. Because, this is the only way to achieve a comprehensive and just peace in the region, and to establish an independent Palestinian state within the borders of June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
Clashes in Hvara (Photo: Shlomi Heller, wow!)
Last night, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry also condemned the Finance Minister’s statement. In the official announcement from Amman, it was stated that “Jordan condemns the statements of the minister in the Israeli government calling for the destruction of the Palestinian village of Hawara. The call for violence foreshadows serious consequences and constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law.”
It was also reported that “Jordan reaffirmed the need to stop the targeted actions against the Palestinian people, and reaffirmed that stopping the unilateral steps that undermine the two-state solution, and the provocative steps that push for tension and violence, are necessary to end the deterioration and reduce the escalation. The Kingdom will continue to do everything An effort to stop the tensions and find a real political horizon for the peace process, and achieve progress in resolving the conflict on the basis of the two states.”
Burnt cars in Hawara (Photo: Arab Networks, use according to Article 27 A)
Likewise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates also attacked Smotrich’s words. The official statement reads that “We condemn the racist comments of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who called for the destruction of the Palestinian village of Hawara.” In the letter, the Emiratis emphasized that they “reject the practices and behaviors that contradict the cities and the moral and human principles. It is necessary to oppose the violent hatemongers, and the values of tolerance and coexistence must be strengthened in efforts to de-escalate.”
“Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that it supports all regional and international efforts to advance the peace process in the Middle East, to put an end to the illegal actions that work against the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
As I recall, the many condemnation messages come after Smotrich’s words at the FINANCE 2023 conference, when he stated that “the state should erase Hvara. This, after the shooting attack that took place at the place, where the brothers Hillel Yaniv Weigel and the late Yaakov were murdered. During the committee, the Minister of Finance was also asked by the interviewer, Matan Khodorov, whether he did not stir up the spirits when he “liked” a tweet by David Ben Zion, the deputy head of the Samaria Regional Council, in which it was written that “the village of Havara should be deleted”. Smotrich replied that “I tweeted and called to calm the spirits and said that we should not be dragged into an anarchy where people take the law in their hands.”
The tweet of David (David) Ben Zion, Deputy Head of the Samaria Regional Council (Photo: Maariv Online)
After the words, the Minister of Finance clarified: “Once again, the media is taking my quote and trying to create a distorted interpretation of it. If they had played the full part of my words, you would have heard that I was talking about how Hawara is a hostile village that has become a terrorist outpost from which terrorist acts of Throwing stones and shooting at Jews, but it is forbidden in any way to take the law into one’s hands.”
“I said that I support a disproportionate response by the IDF and the security forces for every act of terrorism. For every stone – the closing of the shops on the spot, for every Katab – arrests and deportation of the terrorists’ families, for every terrorist nest – a closure and the collection of a painful price until the terrorists and their supporters understand The blood of our children is not in vain and terrorism is not profitable. This is the way to deal with terrorism and God forbid to prevent future victims.”