Paris and Washington denounce the words of the Israeli Minister of Finance denying the existence of the Palestinians

The United States and France raised their voices on Tuesday vis-à-vis Israel. Washington judged “offensive”, Tuesday March 21, the remarks of the Israeli Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, who denied the existence of the Palestinians as individuals as as a people, during a private visit Sunday in Paris. For its part, French diplomacy also reacted, describing these remarks as“unworthy and irresponsible”.

“There are no Palestinians because there are no Palestinian people”, said the far-right minister on Sunday evening. These remarks were broadcast live on Facebook and then widely shared on social networks.

“We believe that these statements are not only inaccurate, but also disturbing and dangerous”, Deputy State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters. He also pointed out that the Minister was not “the only individual in the Israeli government”.

“We call on those who have been called to high office in the Israeli government to demonstrate the required dignity, to respect that of others and to refrain from any actions or statements that contribute to the escalation of tensions,” for its part commented the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release.