3:00 a.m. ET, January 4, 2024
Saudi Arabia and EU countries condemn statements by far-right Israeli officials on the relocation of Gaza citizens
By CNN's Irene Nasser, Alireza Hajihosseini and Manveena Suri
Saudi Arabia and a number of European nations joined the United States on Thursday in condemning statements by far-right Israeli officials who called for Gaza citizens to be relocated outside the Gaza Strip.
In recent days, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have reiterated comments that Israel's war with Hamas presents an opportunity to encourage Palestinian migration from the enclave.
In a statement on Thursday, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry expressed its “condemnation and categorical rejection of the extremist statements made by two ministers of the Israeli occupation government.”
Meanwhile, European Union members including the Netherlands and Slovenia reiterated their earlier condemnation of Israeli officials' comments by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
“This does not fit with a future two-state solution with a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel,” the Dutch Foreign Ministry said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
US State Department spokesman Matt Miller said on Tuesday that the US had been told by Israel “repeatedly and consistently” that such statements [made by the far-right officials] do not reflect the policies of the Israeli government.”
Israeli officials double down: Responding to the U.S. rebuke, Ben Gvir on Tuesday called the United States a “good friend” of Israel but said the “emigration of hundreds of thousands from Gaza” would allow Israeli settlers to return and “live in safety.”
Smotrich also responded to the State Department's rebuke, saying Israel cannot afford to live in close proximity to “a hotbed of hatred and terrorism where two million people wake up every morning with the desire to destroy the State of Israel.”
Post-war Gaza: 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.
On Tuesday, 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 there being no terrorist groups that can threaten Israel.” .”
“This is the future we strive for, in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians, the surrounding region and the world,” he said.