US and Israeli ministers clash publicly over forced displacement of Palestinians

The US clashed publicly Tuesday with some of Israel’s senior cabinet ministers over their call for a forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said Monday there should be a “migration of the residents of Gaza” outside of the besieged enclave, adding that Israel should re-establish settlements there.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed those statements on Monday, saying Israel will maintain permanent control of Gaza after the war.

US President Joe Biden has publicly promised Washington’s Arab allies to prevent a forced displacement of Palestinians and has opposed Israel reoccupying Gaza.

On Tuesday, State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller took the unusual step of directly calling out the two ministers.

“The United States rejects recent statements from Israeli Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. This rhetoric is inflammatory and irresponsible,” he said in a statement.

Ben Gvir fired back on Tuesday saying, “We are not another star in the American flag.”

“The United States is our best friend but before everything else, we will do what is good for the State of Israel,” he said, reiterating his demand for the forced displacement of “hundreds of thousands” of Palestinians from Gaza.