Smotrich says Gazans should become refugees 'like Syrians and Ukrainians'

Extreme-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded on Tuesday to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s rejection of any plan to ethnically cleanse Gazans by saying they should become refugees "like Syrians and Ukrainians". 

Writing on X,  Smotrich urged “the opening of Gaza’s gates for the voluntary emigration of refugees, as the international community has acted regarding refugees from Syria and Ukraine”.

At least 6.7 million Syrians have been forced out of their homeland by the regime of Bashar al-Assad and forces fighting on its behalf, while Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to 6 million Ukrainians leaving their homes for safety abroad. 

Smotrich was responding to comments Blinken made on Tuesday rejecting any notion of Palestinians not being allowed to return to their homes.

“In today’s meetings [with Israeli leaders] I was crystal clear that Palestinian civilians must be able to return home as soon as conditions allow. They must not be pressed to leave Gaza," Blinken said in Tel Aviv. 

Smotrich, who is a leading figure in Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government, has previously called for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza, saying Jews should settle the land instead.

“Let’s think out of the box,” Smotrich said on December 31. “If in Gaza there will be 100,000 or 200,000 Arabs and not 2 million, the entire conversation on ‘the day after’ will look different.”

Smotrich also responded to Blinken’s call for Israel to release withheld tax revenues for Palestinians by vowing that he won’t “transfer one shekel” to what he called “the families of Nazis”.

“We really appreciate US support for Israel, but when it comes to our existence in our land, we will always act according to the Israeli interest,” Smotrich, who leads the far-right Religious Zionism party, wrote on X.

“Therefore we will continue to fight with all our strength to destroy Hamas. We will not transfer a shekel to the Palestinian Authority [PA] that will reach the families of Nazis in Gaza.”

On his visit to Israel on Tuesday, Blinken made clear that the US wants Israel to immediately release the tax revenue Tel Aviv collects on behalf of the PA, which is then proportionately divided between the West Bank and Gaza.

Israel suspended the payments almost three months ago after the onset of its brutal war on the Gaza Strip in October.

Despite repeated US pressure, Israel continues to withhold the funds, which Washington fears could lead to the collapse of the PA in the occupied West Bank.

“Israel must be a partner to Palestinian leaders who are willing to lead their people in living side by side in peace with Israel as neighbours”, Blinken said during his trip to Israel.

The withholding of the funds is also exacerbating the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.