Lasting peace hinges on end of Arab state aspirations, Smotrich stresses

Published February 1st, 2024 - 05:14 GMT
Israeli Minister of Finance
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich attend the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv on January 7, 2024. AFP
Highlights
He vowed to unabashedly work towards strengthening Jewish settlements across Israel, even in the face of potential American sanctions.

ALBAWABA- Yoel Smotrich, the Israeli Minister of Finance and leader of the extremist National Religious Party–Religious Zionism, has strongly criticized the Biden administration's alleged cooperation with what he terms as the "settler violence" campaign.

 Smotrich, a former Knesset member for Yamina, dismissed these claims as anti-Semitic lies propagated by Israel's adversaries.

He vowed to unabashedly work towards strengthening Jewish settlements across Israel, even in the face of potential American sanctions. 

Smotrich emphasized that lasting peace can only be achieved when Arab aspirations for establishing an Arab state on the ruins of the Jewish state dissipate. 

Additionally, he condemned the Biden administration for purportedly aligning with accusations of settler violence, arguing that such claims ignore the sacrifices made by Israelis, particularly during the recent Gaza conflict.

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