Israeli official under fire for violating Jordan peace treaty, anti-Palestinian tirade
Jordan has accused Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of violating the 1994 peace treaty after he gave a speech in front of a podium featuring a map that included Jordan, parts of Syria and Saudi Arabia, and the occupied Palestinian territories as part of Israel.
Amman also summoned the Israeli ambassador on 20 March to protest over hateful remarks made by Smotrich during his speech in Paris, in which he said that “there is no such thing as Palestinians because there is no such thing as a Palestinian people.”
“Is there a Palestinian history or culture? No … After 2,000 years of exile, the people of Israel were returning home, and there were Arabs around [us] who do not like it … So what do they do? They invent a fictitious people in the land of Israel and claim fictitious rights in the land of Israel just to fight the Zionist movement,” the Jewish supremacist official said during a memorial ceremony in Paris for a former far-right political activist.
“The Israeli government must take a clear and open position toward such extremism and the inflammatory and malicious statements by a serving minister,” Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Sinan Majali said on 20 March.
“[Smotrich’s actions] represent reckless incitement that is a violation of international norms and the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty,” Majali added.
In response to the diplomatic crisis set off by Smotrich, Tel Aviv issued a statement on Monday reaffirming Israel’s commitment to the peace agreement with Jordan.
Israel is committed to the 1994 peace agreement with Jordan. There has been no change in the position of the State of Israel, which recognizes the territorial integrity of the Hashemite Kingdom.
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) March 20, 2023
On Monday, Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi also contacted Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to pledge “Israel’s commitment to Jordan’s territorial integrity.”
“I relayed to FM Safadi the important contributions made by King Abdullah in ensuring the successes of both the meetings in Aqaba and Sharm El Sheikh,” Hanegbi tweeted.
Several hours before Smotrich gave his inflammatory speech, senior officials from the US, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority (PA) met in Sharm el-Sheikh for security consultations before Ramadan.
The White House also bristled at Smotrich’s speech, calling it “offensive.”
“The Palestinians have a rich history and culture, and the United States highly appreciates our partnership with the Palestinian people,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told Jordanian media on Monday.
Price also condemned the use of the so-called “Greater Israel” map, noting that Washington remains committed to a strategic partnership with Jordan.
Smotrich made headlines earlier this month after he called for the Palestinian village of Huwara to be “wiped out.”
“The Palestinian village of Huwara should be wiped out. The state needs to do it and not private citizens,” Smotrich said in a forum hosted by the Marker business newspaper on 1 March.
Huwara was the site of a pogrom carried out by Israeli settlers with the support of the Israeli army last month. One Palestinian was killed, nearly 400 were injured, and dozens of homes and vehicles were set ablaze.
Smotrich later apologized, claiming he “didn’t realize” his remarks would be interpreted as a military order.
Besides his role as finance minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, Smotrich is also responsible for the civil administration in the occupied West Bank.
Over the last several months, the situation across Israel has descended into chaos due to Netanyahu’s controversial policies, the violent rhetoric of his close allies, and a marked uptick in the activities of Palestinian resistance groups in the occupied West Bank.
The situation has led to a shadow ban of Netanyahu from the White House, the suspension of multi-billion arms deals with Israel’s Arab partners, mass anti-government protests, and significant capital flight by investors.
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