Jerusalem: The West Bank city of Huwara should be "wiped out" by the State of Israel, according to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Smotrich's remarks, which came days after Jewish settlers attacked the city in retaliation for a Palestinian attack, have been labeled "incitement to war crimes".
Smotrich was asked why he "liked" a tweet from a regional councilor calling for the destruction of the village while speaking at a business conference on Wednesday night.
The minister said, "I believe that the village of Huwara needs to be abolished, so I like the tweet. In my opinion, the State of Israel should implement it."
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On Sunday, as Jewish settlers rampaged through the village for several hours, a Palestinian resident of Huwara was shot dead. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, two additional people were shot and wounded, and dozens were injured in other ways. Settlers in the Palestinian village set houses and cars on fire, before Israeli police quelled the unrest.
Riots broke out shortly after two Israeli brothers were shot dead by Palestinian gunmen in the settlement of Har Bracha, five kilometers from Huwara. There are hundreds of settlements in the West Bank, all of which are prohibited by international law.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon put an end to settlement construction in 2004, but it resumed in 2012 under current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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According to figures from Israeli peace activists, the Israeli government has so far legalized 132 of these settlements while another 147 are still prohibited by Israeli law.
On Thursday, Netanyahu gave hardline Zionist minister Smotrich authority over civil affairs in the West Bank, including planning, construction and land distribution.
Smotrich's first action in this capacity was to approve the construction of over 7,000 new homes, some of which would be found in unauthorized outposts.
Yair Lapid, a former prime minister and current leader of the opposition, called Smotrich's remarks "incitement to war crimes". On Wednesday Lapid told reporters that "Jews do not commit genocide and do not destroy Jewish villages. The government has lost its way."
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Later, Smotrich attempted to retract his remarks, stating that he intended for Israel to "act in a targeted manner against terrorists and supporters of terrorism" rather than completely destroy the city of Huwara.