“The very existence of the Palestinian people in their homeland is under threat and requires urgent procedures so as to hold officials and settlers accountable for their crimes,” the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said in a statement.

The diplomatic institution declared that Israel´s Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, “must be punished and held accountable for inciting violence and destruction, and knowingly leading and contributing to the massive persecution of the Palestinian people.”

A few days ago Smotrich defended the destruction of the West Bank village of Hawara, which was attacked by a mob of Jewish settlers. Faced with a wave of international criticism, he backed down and said his words were misinterpreted.

“Hate speech, provocative rhetoric, and the dehumanization of our people for decades fostered massive violence at levels which recall the destruction we suffered in 1948,” the Foreign Ministry said, referring to the war that caused s mass expulsion of Arabs from the region.

And added, “Smotrich’s words are the crowning of 75 years of incitement to Israel´s hatred,” it stressed, that “only the end of the occupation and the dismantling of the apartheid regime will put an end to violence, racism and fascism against the Palestinian people.”

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