Ben-Gvir says Netanyahu 'showing openness' to Gaza residents expulsion

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
Today 08:23
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Several Israeli ministers have advocated for re-occupying Gaza and reducing its Palestinian population by promoting so-called "voluntary migration" amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in the Knesset occupied al-Quds, on May 23, 2023. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly showing “some openness” to the idea of the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, according to far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Anadolu Agency reported.

“I am working hard to promote the encouragement of migration from Gaza with the prime minister, and I am beginning to discover some openness on the matter,” Ben-Gvir told Israeli Army Radio.

The extremist minister added, “Ideas like settlement in Gaza are welcome; the only times we defeated our enemies were when we took territory from them. But that doesn’t satisfy me. I also want to encourage emigration [of Palestinians from Gaza].”

Ben-Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit Party, also hinted at potential tensions within the government, warning he might withdraw from the coalition over a possible prisoner swap deal with Palestinians.

“The terms that are currently being discussed are irrelevant as far as I am concerned, and the prime minister very much does not want Otzma Yehudit to leave the government,” he said.

Several Israeli ministers have advocated for re-occupying Gaza and reducing its Palestinian population by promoting so-called 'voluntary migration' amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Smotrich calls for occupation of Gaza, cutting its population by half

Last week, Israeli Finance Minister and extremist Bezalel Smotrich said "Israel" should occupy Gaza and reduce its population by half within two years.

Smotrich spoke at a conference organized by the Yesha Council, which represents illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, where he made another set of remarks encouraging the genocide of the Palestinian people.

"It is possible to create a situation where Gaza’s population will be reduced to half its current size in two years," the Israeli Minister stated.

Smotrich spoke in reference to a plan based on financial incentives that would "encourage" Palestinians to move elsewhere. Such policies have been criticized for being masked forms of forced displacement and ethnic cleansing, in which the Israeli regime would make the situation so dire for Palestinians that they would be forced to accept sums of money in exchange for "emigration".

"It won’t cost too much money," Smotrich said, adding that "even if it does, we should not be afraid to pay for it."

"We can occupy Gaza and thin the population by half within two years," he reiterated.

This is not the first time Smotrich has brought up the idea during the Israeli war on Gaza. Late last year, he reaffirmed the Israeli occupation's expansionist and racist nature.

"What needs to be done in the Gaza Strip is to encourage emigration," Smotrich told the Israeli Army Radio.

"If there are 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs in Gaza and not 2 million Arabs, the entire discussion on the day after will be totally different," he added, further revealing his fascist and genocidal sentiments.

"Most of Israeli society will say 'Why not, it's a nice place, let's make the desert bloom, it doesn't come at anyone's expense'," highlighting the perception that zionists have of Palestinian civilians, who officials have previously described as animals and terrorists.