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Israel’s Smotrich Walks Back Huwara Comments at Confab in Washington
Protesters holding banners and Israeli flags gather to demonstrate against Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich outside the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington DC while he attends a conference on March 12, in Washington D.C. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Israel’s Smotrich Walks Back Huwara Comments at Confab in Washington

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, on a visit to the United States, walked back his controversial remarks in which he said that the Palestinian town of Huwara should be “wiped out.” He told a private dinner of 150 leaders in the Israel Bonds organization in what he said was “a few words about the elephant in the room,” that he had “already said and written and repeat now with sincere regret, my comments about Huwara created a completely mistaken impression. I stand before you now as always committed to the security of the state of Israel, to our shared values, and to the highest moral commitment of our armed forces to protect every innocent life, Jew or Arab.” Because of his statement, the White House announced that no government officials would meet with Smotrich during his visit to the US. In addition, mainstream American Jewish organizations declined to set up meetings with him. Several organizations, as well as Israeli ex-pats, held protests against Smotrich and against Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians outside of the Grand Hyatt hotel during the dinner. Smotrich has a long history of comments against the LGBTQ community, Arabs, Palestinians and non-Orthodox Jews.

 

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