Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the official spokesman of Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said on Thursday that "Israel has entered a phase of isolation and rejection in the international arena because of its aggressive policy and its disregard for international legitimacy decisions and international law."
In a statement, Abu Rudeineh blasted remarks attributed to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as though he legitimized the notion that Israel should starve two million Palestinian Arabs, which Smotrich had later clarified were taken out of context.
"Smotrich's words regarding the starvation of two million Palestinians, in addition to the Israeli Foreign Ministry's decision to place obstacles in front of the Norwegian delegation in Palestine, are provocative conduct and defiance of the occupying state towards the world, and this requires international intervention by all the countries to force this occupation to stop its aggression and to respect international legitimacy and its decisions," said Abbas’ spokesman.
Abu Rudeineh called Smotrich's words a "war crime" for which the Israeli leadership, which he claimed commits “massacres of civilians, including women, children and the elderly, and with the support of the United States,” must be punished.
The condemnations voiced by France, England and Germany of Israel's policy are important, but the time has come to force the "occupation state" to stop the "war of extermination" in the Gaza Strip and recognize the state of Palestine in order to preserve the two-state solution, he said.
Smotrich had said this week at the Israel Hayom conference that "it is impossible in today's global reality to wage a war. No one will let us starve to death two million citizens, even though it may be right and moral as long as our hostages are not returned - humanitarian for humanitarian…We need international legitimacy for this war."
Following a wave of condemnation in the international arena of his perceived remarks, Smotrich clarified in an interview with Reshet Bet radio, "God forbid. This is not what was said at all - I suggest that everyone watch the video from the conference that was held in collaboration with the Israel Hayom newspaper. They did not understand what I said, but I'm used to being demonized all over the world."
"What was said is that we must bring in humanitarian aid because no one will let us starve Gazans, but what was also said is that, from a moral point of view, we have to condition 'humanitarian for humanitarian' and say that we will bring in aid on the condition that they return the hostages to us. They (the hostages) are dying In the tunnels and we are pampering the Gaza Strip - in my eyes this is immoral and unjust," Smotrich added.