EU’s Borrell slams Israeli Minister Smotrich for his comments on the Palestinian people

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell slammed Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (pictured) for his comments that “there is no such thing as the Palestinian people“, writes Yossi Lempkowicz.

Smotrich made the comment on Sunday (19 March) as he spoke at a private memorial service in Paris for right wing activist and Jewish Agency board member Jacques Kupfer.

He declared that the Palestinian people were “an invention” from the last century and that people like himself and his grandparents were the “real Palestinians”.

“After 2,000 years of exile, the people of Israel are returning home, and there are Arabs around who do not like it. So what do they do? They invent a fictitious people and claim fictitious rights in the Land of Israel just to fight the Zionist movement,” he said.

He continued: “This truth should be heard here in the Elysée Palace. This truth should also be heard by the Jewish people in the State of Israel who are a little confused. This truth should be heard in the White House in Washington. The whole world needs to hear this truth because it is the truth—and the truth will win.”

Asked for a reaction to Smotrich comments during a press briefing following Monday’s meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, Borrell called them “dangerous”, “unacceptable” “irresponsible” and “conterproductive, espoecazilly in the sitution which is already very tense”. “Could you Imagine if a Palestinian leader would say that the Israeli state doesn’t exist,” Borrell said. “What would have been the reaction?” he asked.

The High Representative of foreign affazirs said Smotrich’s comments “go once again in the opposite direction and cannot be tolerated”.

“I call on the Israeli government to disavow these comments and to start working with all parties to defuse the tensions,” he added. “It is not the first time that I have to express our concerns regarding the spiralling violence  on the ground, noting that the EU has “constantly advocated for means of de-escalation, not inflammatory”.

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