Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezaleel Smotrecht during a press conference in Jerusalem on January 25, 2023 (AFP)
The international community on Friday condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotreich's "racist statement" calling for the palestinian village of Hawara to be wiped out.
Saudi Arabia on Friday condemned israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotreich's statement calling for the "wipe out" of the occupied West Bank town of Hawara, according to a report by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
"The Kingdom completely rejects the racist and irresponsible statements that demonstrate the intensity of violence and extremism against the brotherly Palestinian people by occupying Israel," the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement. '
The Saudi statement also called on the international community to stop these "shameful" practices, de-escalate tensions and provide "necessary protection to civilians".
The United States also criticized the Israeli Finance Minister's "disgusting, irresponsible and disgusting" statement about the destruction of the Palestinian village of Hawara from the surface.
State Department spokesman Ned Price told a news briefing that Smotreich's comments amounted to "incitement to violence".
The Israeli minister had said that the village of Hawara should be abolished. "I think Israel should do that," he said in a televised address. '
Ned Price called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government members to publicly condemn the statement.
"Just as we condemn palestinian incitement to violence, we also condemn provocative statements that amount to inciting violence," he added. '
U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk, speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, condemned Bezaleel Smotrecht's remarks, calling it an "incomprehensible statement inciting violence and hostility."
Volker Turk, who formally presented a report on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories during the meeting, also called for an end to the violence.
Bezaleel Smotrecht told reporters last Wednesday that the village should be demolished after the violence.
He later claimed that his statement was taken out of context. "I believe this village has become an 'enemy' and is turning into a safe haven for terrorists.
The French Foreign Ministry also called the statement "unacceptable, irresponsible and inappropriate" by a member of the Israeli government.
The statement added that the conversation only "incites hatred and current violence". '
The UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) said the UAE rejects all practices that are contrary to moral and humanitarian values and principles.
The UAE ministry stressed the need to combat hate speech and violence, saying it was important to strengthen "values of tolerance and human co-existence" in an effort to reduce instability in the region.
Qatar called the Israeli minister's remarks "hateful and provocative" and said it considered it a "serious incitement to war crimes".
Kuwait reiterated its complete rejection of such irresponsible provocative statements that are contrary to all international laws and principles and represent a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
Meanwhile, Jordan's foreign ministry condemned the "provocative" statements made by Bezaleel Smotrecht.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ambassador Sinan Majali said the incitement to violence "represents serious consequences and a violation of international humanitarian law", state-run Petra news agency reported. '
Egypt's foreign ministry also condemned the Israeli foreign minister's statement in the strongest terms in a statement issued on Friday.
The statement said the Israeli statements represented "incitement to dangerous and unacceptable violence".
"These are contrary to all laws, customs and moral values, and do not have the responsibility that any official holding a public office should have," he added. '
Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim al-Badawi also condemned the statements and said that as part of efforts to reduce tensions and ensure stability in the region, it is important to resolve the debate of hate and violence and instead promote the values of tolerance and human coexistence.
He also called for supporting all efforts to advance the Middle East peace process and eliminating illegal practices that threaten the two-state solution.
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