Zein Khalil
04 February 2024•Update: 04 February 2024
JERUSALEM
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday attacked the administration of US President Joe Biden, accusing it of "harming the war effort" in the Gaza Strip.
“Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel [to Gaza], which goes to Hamas,” Ben-Gvir told The Wall Street Journal.
“If Trump were in power, the US conduct would be completely different,” he added.
Ben-Gvir said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is at a crossroads,” and that he “has to choose in what direction he’ll go.”
The hardline minister renewed his call for the residents of the Gaza Strip to "emigrate to places around the world," by offering the Palestinians financial incentives to do so.
His remarks have triggered a storm of criticism from Israeli politicians, who said his views will "cause great harm" to Israel's foreign and strategic relations.
“It is permissible to have disputes, even with our greatest and most important ally, but they must be conducted in the relevant forums and not in irresponsible statements in the media, which harm Israel’s strategic relations, its security and war efforts at this time,” War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz said.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid termed Ben-Gvir’s comments “a direct attack on Israel's international status and war efforts.”
“Netanyahu has no control over the extremists in his government,” he added.
Washington has been critical of calls by Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip amid on the ongoing Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave.
Israel has launched a deadly offensive on Gaza following an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, killing at least 27,365 Palestinians and injuring 66,630 others. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi
