Egypt condemns Israeli Minister’s call for erasing Palestinian village of Hawara

CAIRO – 2 March 2023: Egypt condemned in the strongest terms the “inciting statements” of a minister in the Israeli government, in which he called for the "erasing" of the Palestinian village of Hawara.

Israeli Finance Minister and head of the far-right Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich called for wiping out the Palestinian village of Hawara, saying as it was translated by NBC News: “I think the village of Hawara needs to be erased. I think that the state of Israel needs to do it. God forbid that regular people should do it.”

Egypt said in a statement on Friday that these statements are “dangerous and unacceptable incitement to violence, contrary to all laws, customs and moral values.” These statements lack the responsibility that any official holding an official position should have.”

Egypt called for the necessity of putting an end to provocative or inciting actions against the Palestinian people, and to unilateral measures to achieve calm between the two sides.

Calming down the situation paves the way for the resumption of the peace process on the basis of the principle of the two-state solution and the resolutions of international legitimacy, the statement continued.

“This is the only way to achieve a comprehensive and just peace in the region, and to establish an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital,” the statement continued.

The Israeli Minister’s comments came after hundreds of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the village of Hawara, killing a Palestinian man and injuring others besides burning vehicles and other properties after the killing of two Israeli settlers by a Palestinian man.