Mass Rallies Promoting Killing and Expulsion of Palestinians Organized in Israel
Israeli newspapers report that 11 government ministers and 15 lawmakers of the coalition government addressed a mass rally on the evening of January 29 and "publicly pledged to rebuild Jewish Israeli settlements in the heart of the Gaza Strip, and calling for forced expulsion of the Palestinian population." Israeli media described the event as having a "carnival-like atmosphere." According to Times of Israel, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of the ultranationalist Religious Zionism Party, extolled the virtues of creating new settlements, declaring: "God willing, we will settle and we will be victorious."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was not present, "to return home to Gush Katif" -- the name of the Israeli settlement bloc in Gaza that was evacuated in the 2005 Disengagement. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi of Netanyahu's ruling Likud party also called for building settlements in Gaza and "encouraging voluntary emigration." Karhi went on to say that the war -- meaning Israel's aerial bombardment, artillery and ground operations – had created conditions where Gazan civilians could now be coerced into saying they want to leave the territory. [...]
The express purpose of the event, which was organized by the Nachala settlement activist group and the West Bank's Samaria Regional Council and its head Yossi Dagan, was to serve as a rallying cry to the general public and the government to take advantage of the current war to begin again to build Jewish settlements in Gaza, media accounts indicate.
National Security Minister Ben Givr said, "We need to return home, to rule the territory, and yes, also to offer a moral and logical solution to the humanitarian problem: encourage emigration and pass a death penalty law for terror convicts." He is said to have goaded Netanyahu, telling him that it was "the task of brave leadership to take brave decisions."
Communications Minister Karhi made similar comments: "We must settle Gaza, with security forces and settlers who will wrap them and this land in love." He added: "We have an obligation to act, for our sakes and even for the sake of those purported uninvolved civilians, to bring about voluntary emigration -- even if this war, which was imposed on us, turns this voluntary migration into a situation of 'Coerce him until he says, 'I want to do so'" -- quoting a principle in Jewish law whereby someone can be coerced into performing certain religious obligations by physical or other forms of pressure.
Israel also held a conference on January 28 calling for annexing the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and supporting settlement expansion. Hamas issued a statement which said: "Organizing such a conference has reflected this rogue entity's disregard for international laws and resolutions, including the recent ruling that was adopted by the International Court of Justice and called for taking all the necessary measures to stop its genocide in Gaza."
Also on January 28, 126 settlers broke through the Moghrabi Gate and invaded Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of occupation forces. Meanwhile, the entry of Muslims to the mosque has been restricted for 17 weeks by the Israeli Occupation Forces.
Also that day, for the fourth time, Israeli protesters, including family members of captives held in Gaza closed the Karam Abu Salem crossing, preventing humanitarian aid trucks from entering Gaza.
This article was published in
Volume 54
Number 8 - January 31, 2024
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2024/Articles/MS540811.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca