12:08 a.m. ET, January 3, 2024
A far-right Israeli official hits back after the US criticized comments on Gaza relocation
By CNN's Mitchell McCluskey Itamar Ben Gvir attends a cabinet meeting at Kirya, the headquarters of Israel's Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv on December 31, 2023. Abir Sultan/AFP/Getty Images/File
A far-right Israeli official hit back Tuesday after Washington called his call to relocate Gazans outside the enclave “seditious and irresponsible.”
“I am very grateful to the United States of America, but with all due respect we are not just another star on the American flag,” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said in an interview translated post on Xformerly Twitter.
Ben Gvir said Monday that Israel's war with Hamas represents an “opportunity to focus on encouraging migration of Gazans,” echoing comments from another member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition the day before .
In a rebuttal on Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesman Matt Miller said the U.S. had been told by Israel “repeatedly and consistently” “that such statements do not reflect the policy of the Israeli government” while officials discussed the coastal enclave's postwar future ponder.
Reacting to the US statement, Ben Gvir called the US a “good friend” on Tuesday but said the “emigration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza” would allow Israeli settlers to return and “live in safety”.
“The United States is our good friend, but first and foremost we will do what is good for the State of Israel,” he said.
Some context: Last month, U.S. officials discussed government plans for the Gaza Strip after the war with the Palestinian Authority and regional U.S. allies – making them a key focus as they try to look beyond the immediate conflict.
In Tuesday's U.S. statement, Miller said the State Department has “stated clearly, consistently and unequivocally that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian land, with Hamas no longer in control of its future and no terrorist groups in the area.” “We are in a position to threaten Israel.”
“This is the future we strive for, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region and the world,” he said.
What Israeli officials said: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday called on Palestinian residents to leave Gaza to make way for Israelis who could “make the desert bloom,” Portal reported. A day later, Ben Gvir expressed support for the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza abroad.
CNN's Jonny Hallam contributed to this report.