U.S. Views on Gaza Would Be Different 'If Trump Was in Power': Far-right Minister Ben-Gvir Says in WSJ Interview - Israel News - Haaretz.com
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir slammed the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, claiming his expected challenger in the 2024 election would handle the war in Gaza "differently," statements met with criticism by senior Israeli politicians.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal that was published Sunday, the far-right minister stated that "Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel" to the Gaza Strip, which according to Ben-Gvir "goes to Hamas."
Ben-Gvir further stated that if Donald Trump was in the White House and not Biden, the "U.S. conduct would be completely different."
Earlier this month, Ben-Gvir spoke with Israel's Kan public radio and spoke about mass emigration of Palestinians from Gaza and rebuilding of Israeli settlements.
Elaborating on such plans to the WSJ, Ben-Gvir said he would encourage the residents of the Gaza Strip to "emigrate to places around the world," by offering the Palestinians financial incentives to do so.
Ben-Gvir reiterated that he would be opposed to any deal to release Israeli hostages held by Hamas, if that deal would include the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
"Netanyahu is at a crossroads," Ben-Gvir warned, adding that the prime minister must "choose in what direction he'll go."
Israel's Opposition Leader, Yair Lapid, reacted to Ben-Gvir's interview, saying that the far-right minister's claims "hurt Israel's international status." In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Lapid said he would call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to "restrain" Ben-Gvir, but added Netanyahu "can't control any of the extremists in his government."
War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz also commented on Ben-Gvir's claims in the interview, saying on X that "disputes are permissible, even with our biggest and most important ally, but they must be settled in the relevant forums and not in irresponsible statements in the media."
Later on Sunday, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on the Biden administration to impose sanctions on the national security minister for what it said "threatens the region's stability in that he is publicly calling for the expulsion of the Palestinians."
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called Ben-Gvir's comments "an _expression_ of racist colonialism and blatant incitement to complete the annihilation of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, their expulsion by force and their being uprooted from the country."
The ministry described Ben-Gvir's comments as "a blatant provocation against the American administration and President Biden," adding that they are "a provocation against international consensus positions, decision of the international court and the Security Council of the UN when it comes to protecting Palestinian citizens and ensuring their basic needs."
At the beginning of the Israeli government's weekly meeting in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Netanyahu reacted to Ben-Gvir, saying "I don't need [his] help to figure out how to navigate our relations with the United States and the international community."
Netanyahu added: "We deeply appreciate the support we've received from the Biden administration since the war started… This doesn't mean that we agree on everything, but so far we've managed to overcome them with determined and considered decisions."
"There are those who say 'yes' to everything, when they must say 'no'," Netanyahu continued. "The international community cheers them, but they actually endanger our national security. There are also those who say 'no' to everything and receive applause here at home, but they also endanger [our] vital interests. I'd like to tell you something from my experience: wisdom is to know how to navigate. Saying 'yes' when it's possible, and 'no' when it's necessary."