Smotrich: We will encourage the emigration of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza

SadaNews - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that he will work during his upcoming term to "encourage the emigration of Palestinians" from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

He made this statement during an event for his far-right party "Religious Zionism," where he presented what he described as the goals of the next government, including the cancellation of the Oslo Accords from the 1990s and the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, a move considered an actual annexation.

Leaders of the far-right, including Smotrich, have repeatedly promoted this idea, which is widely described as "ethnic cleansing."

The promotion of this idea intensified following the Gaza war, but the focus on calls for displacement has largely concentrated on the Gaza Strip.

Smotrich stated: "The idea of an Arab terrorist state (referring to international calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state) must be eradicated, and the infamous Oslo Accords must be officially and practically canceled, moving towards sovereignty, while encouraging emigration from Gaza and the West Bank."

He added: "There is no other long-term solution."

Smotrich's remarks received applause from the audience.

General elections in Israel are scheduled to take place by next October, and Smotrich's party has consistently received support in opinion polls.