A firebrand Israeli minister claimed there\u0027s \u0022no such thing\u0022 as a Palestinian people
As the negotiators were issuing a joint communique, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich delivered a speech in Paris saying the notion of a Palestinian people was artificial..“There is no such thing as a Palestinian nation. There is no Palestinian history. There is no Palestinian language,” he said in France late Sunday. He spoke at a lectern draped with what appeared to be a map of Israel that included the occupied West Bank and parts of Jordan.
His remarks on Palestinians were reminiscent of those made by late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir that caused an uproar in 1969. She later told The New York Times that she meant there had never been a Palestinian nation. But critics say the comments continue to tarnish her legacy. Sunday’s summit was held ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week. The Jewish festival of Passover is set to take place in April, coinciding with Ramadan.
Clashes at the site in 2021 helped trigger an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip. The president “underscored his belief that democratic values have always been, and must remain, a hallmark of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” the White House said, and added that “fundamental changes should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support.”
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'No such thing' as Palestinian people: Top Israeli minister:A firebrand Israeli minister claimed there's “no such thing” as a Palestinian people as Israel's new coalition government, its most hard-line ever, plowed ahead on Monday with a part of its plan to overhaul the judiciary.
Read more »
West Bank attack casts shadow over Israel-Palestinian talksA Palestinian gunman opened fire at an Israeli vehicle in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, wounding two people, Israeli officials said. The attack cast a shadow over Egyptian-mediated efforts to lower tensions ahead of a sensitive holiday period beginning this week.
Read more »
Group of elite Israeli military reservists say they are joining judicial protestsHard-right government’s planned judicial overhaul has stirred concern for Israel’s democratic health at home and abroad
Read more »
Gunman captured after attack on Israeli couple in West Bank townIsraeli officials said the wounded Israeli, who also has U.S. citizenship, and soldiers at the scene returned fire, wounding the gunman, who was pursued by…
Read more »
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu softens judicial overhaul plan after call with BidenThe move to soften the Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plan is part of an apparent bid to calm more than two months of nationwide protests and misgivings voiced by Western allies
Read more »
Military: rocket fired from Gaza lands on southern IsraelJERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket toward southern Israel Saturday evening.
Read more »