Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video over the weekend, in which he accused the Palestinians of demanding a state devoid of a Jewish population, a reality the Israeli leader termed as “ethnic cleansing”. Netanyahu said that the demand of removing Israeli settlements from Judea and Samaria, the biblical term of the West Bank, was an outrageous demand. “I’m sure many of you have heard the claim that Jewish communities in Judea Samaria, the West Bank, are an obstacle to peace. I’ve always been perplexed by this notion. Because no one would seriously claim that the nearly two million Arabs living inside Israel – that they’re an obstacle to peace. That’s because they aren’t. On the contrary. Israel’s diversity shows its openness and readiness for peace. Yet the Palestinian leadership actually demands a Palestinian state with one pre-condition: no Jews. There’s a phrase for that: It’s called ethnic cleansing. And this demand is outrageous,” declared the Israeli leader.
Netanyahu also criticized the international community for suggesting that Jews living on disputed areas was the main obstacle for peace. “It’s even more outrageous that the world doesn’t find this outrageous. Some otherwise enlightened countries even promote this outrage. Ask yourself this: Would you accept ethnic cleansing in your state? A territory without Jews, without Hispanics, without blacks? Since when is bigotry a foundation for peace? At this moment, Jewish schoolchildren in Judea Samaria are playing in sandboxes with their friends. Does their presence make peace impossible? I don’t think so. I think what makes peace impossible is intolerance of others. Societies that respect all people are the ones that pursue peace. Societies that demand ethnic cleansing don’t pursue peace. I envision a Middle East where young Arabs and young Jews learn together, work together, live together side by side in peace,” criticized Netanyahu.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s video drew harsh criticism by the international community, with US State Department referring to the comments made by the Israeli leader as “inappropriate and unhelpful.”
“We have seen what the Israeli prime minister’s video. We obviously strongly disagree with the characterization that those who oppose settlement activity or view it is an obstacle to peace or somehow calling for ethnic cleansing of Jews from the West Bank. We believe that using that type of terminology is inappropriate and unhelpful. Settlements are a final status issue that must be resolved in negotiations between the parties. We share the view of every past U.S. administration and the strong consensus of the international community that ongoing settlement activity is an obstacle to peace,” answered Elizabeth Trudeau, US State Department – Press Office Director.
The US State Department Press Office Director continued by detailing ongoing Israeli settlement activity, stressing that the ongoing Israeli building policy on disputed lands, which the Palestinians demand for their future state, raises questions about Israel’s long term intensions in the West Bank. “Let’s be clear the undisputed fact is that already this year thousands of settlement units have been advanced for Israelis in the West Bank, illegal outposts and unauthorized settlement units have been retroactively legalized. More West Bank land has been seized for exclusive Israeli use. There has been a dramatic escalation of demolitions resulting in over 700 Palestinian structures destroyed, displacing more than 1000 Palestinians. As we’ve said many times before this does raise real questions about Israel’s long term intentions in the West Bank,” added Trudeau.