Condemnations pour in over Israeli minister’s provocative actions, racist statements

AMMAN — Arab and international leaders continue to denounce Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s recent actions at an event in Paris where he displayed an alleged map of Israel that included the borders of Jordan and the occupied Palestinian territories, a move that many have deemed racist.

The Palestinian presidency has joined in the condemnation and rejection of the Israeli minister’s remarks, in which he attempted to deny the existence of the Palestinian people.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has described the minister’s remarks as “provocative and conclusive evidence” of the extremist nature of Zionist ideology.

 The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has also released a statement condemning the Israeli government’s provocative statements and positions against the Palestinian people, their existence and their legitimate national rights in their homeland. 

The foreign ministries of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Kuwait, Lebanon and Qatar also expressed their condemnation of the Israeli minister’s provocative remarks. 

The United Arab Emirates has also condemned the recent statements of the Israeli Finance Minister.

According to reports from Israeli army radio, sources from the UAE have confirmed that an official envoy, representing Emirati President Khaldoon Al Mubarak, will travel to Israel to meet with the Israeli president and deliver a strongly worded message of protest against the minister’s extremist statements.

The envoy is also expected to convey to Israel that if the Israeli government passes legislation that undermines the judicial system, it will be difficult for the UAE to invest in Israel, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reiterated its commitment to the peace accord with Jordan, asserting that “our stance on recognising the Kingdom’s territorial integrity remains unaltered”.

Tzachi Hanegbi, head of the Israeli National Security Council, confirmed that he had conversed with Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi about the use of the map, and underscored Israel’s recognition of Jordan’s territorial integrity.