US has been 'pushing Israel towards suicide for years': Smotrich
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The Israeli finance minister says the "two-state solution" being advocated by the US is akin to amplifying the pre-war situation in Gaza twenty times.
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Israeli then Prime Minister Yair Lapid (C), Likud Party leader and sitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L), sitting Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich after the swearing-in ceremony for Lapid in occupied al-Quds, on November 15, 2023. (AFP)
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich lashed at the United States on Tuesday, stating that the entity's closest ally has been "pushing Israel towards suicide for years" by advocating for a "two-state solution."
During a campaign fundraising event in Washington, US President Joe Biden expressed the view that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must consider a shift in his hardline government stance.
"This is the most conservative government in Israel's history," Biden said, pointing out that the Israeli government "doesn't want a two-state solution."
Read more: War on Gaza leaves 'Israel', US politically isolated
Responding to this remark in an interview with an Israeli media outlet, Smotrich stated he regarded this as praise, saying, "I see that as a compliment."
The minister likened the "two-state solution" to "multiplying the [pre-war] Gaza situation by twenty, and giving it a region that militarily controls ... three-quarters of Israel."
Simultaneously, Smotrich acknowledged that "Israel" maintains a "very good relationship with Washington," adding that "no one could have imagined the strength of the cooperation that exists today" between the two sides.
He pointed out that the United States and "Israel" have been "friends for many, many years," yet admitted that "there have been disagreements for many years as well, and we know how to manage these disagreements like friends."
Full US support for the war on Gaza
Since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza, the United States has supported its ally's choice of aggression, citing "Israel's right to self-defense." This support was recently demonstrated in the US veto on a UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Strip.
Biden's remarks come shortly after Netanyahu said in a video address that the regime received full US support for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
"I really appreciate the US support for the destruction of Hamas and the return of our hostages. After intensive discussions with President [of the United States Joe] Biden and his people, we received full support for a ground entry [into the Gaza Strip] and containment of international pressure aimed at ending the war," Netanyahu in a video address posted on X.
"Yes, there are disputes about the 'day after Hamas,' and I hope that we will come to an agreement here."
"Israel" wants to decide fate of post-war Gaza
During a discussion of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee on Monday, Netanyahu declared that he was opposed to the Palestinian Authority taking control of the Gaza Strip after the aggression ends, the Israeli Maariv newspaper reported.
"The Palestinian Authority will not be able to control Gaza under any circumstances," the Israeli premier maintained.
"Security responsibility will remain under the State of Israel. The difference between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority is only that Hamas wants to destroy us here and now and the Authority wants to do it in stages," he said despite the PA being recognized by the Israeli occupation as a representative of the Palestinian people.
