Ramallah, 7 March 2023 (TDI): In a statement, the state of Palestine has called on the international community to take immediate and concrete steps to hold Israeli officials accountable for their crimes and ongoing incitement and threats against Palestinians.
The very existence of Palestinians in their homeland is under threat, necessitating immediate action in accordance with international law to hold Israeli government & military officials, as well as settlers, accountable for their crimes & deter further violations.
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Minister of Finance, must be sanctioned and held accountable for inciting violence and destruction, as well as knowingly leading and contributing to mass Palestinian persecution.
State of Palestine warned that Israel’s systematic hate speech, provocative rhetoric, violence, and dehumanisation of Palestinians over decades is fomenting mass violence at levels reminiscent of the 1948 Nakba.
It is pertinent to note that Smotrich’s fascism is not a “slip of the tongue” or an aberration; he is clearly overjoyed by the carnage and terrorism perpetrated by settlers in Huwwara.
Smotrich’s incitement is the unavoidable result of 75 years of Israeli hate-mongering, rooted in the Nakba and sustained by Israel’s illegal occupation and apartheid regime of Jewish supremacy, which institutionally dehumanises the Palestinian people.
Also read: Palestine condemns Israel’s occupation
Only the end of Israel’s occupation and the abolition of its apartheid regime will put an end to the violence, racism, and fascism directed at the Palestinian people. Statements of condemnation will not suffice unless accompanied by action to ensure accountability.
Urgent international intervention is imperative to put a stop to Israel’s dangerous aggressions against the Palestinian people and provide the necessary protection.
Along these lines, the statement urged the international community to uphold its responsibilities and obligations under international law by enacting tangible and effective sanctions against Israeli officials responsible for crimes against the Palestinian people.
The statement highlighted that a war criminal cannot have shared values. Allowing Smotrich to visit the United States (US), or any other country, is a direct endorsement of incitement aimed at the annihilation of the Palestinian people & should be avoided at all costs.
