The United Arab Emirates has condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's remarks in which he denied the existence of the Palestinian people, the UAE Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st March, 2023) The United Arab Emirates has condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's remarks in which he denied the existence of the Palestinian people, the UAE Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Smotrich, who is also the leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party, spoke at an event in Paris in front of a map that depicted Jordan and the West Bank of the Palestinian Authority as part of Israel. Moreover, Smotrich said that "there is no such thing as a Palestinian people."
"The UAE has condemned statements by Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich in which he denied the existence of the Palestinian people. The UAE also condemned his use of a map of Israel that includes lands from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the occupied Palestinian territories," the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also stressed the need to "confront hate speech and violence" and the importance of promoting values of tolerance and coexistence to "reduce escalation and instability in the region."
On Sunday, Palestine and Israel agreed to establish a mechanism to curb violence and counter inflammatory statements and actions during a security meeting in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh.
Relations between Israel and Palestine have been adversarial since the latter's founding in 1948. Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition of their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity, and builds settlements in the occupied areas despite objections from the United Nations.
Since the beginning of 2023, the situation in the West Bank, especially in the cities of Jenin and Nablus, has become much more complicated due to ongoing raids by the Israeli armed forces against the Palestinians.
