An US official quoted by Channel 12 News said on Saturday night that the administration is considering preventing Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the United States, following his comments that the Arab village of Huwara should be “wiped out”.
The official said that it would be better for Smotrich to announce of his own accord that he is canceling the visit, and "save himself the embarrassment, since all Biden administration officials refused to meet with him anyway."
Smotrich is scheduled to depart for the US this week and take part in an Israel Bonds conference.
According to a report by Channel 12 News’ Dana Weiss, discussions are currently taking place in Washington on whether to grant Smotrich an entry visa, partly on the grounds that he incites violence and promotes war crimes.
On Friday, Channel 12 reported that Smotrich is now considered “persona non grata on steroids” in Washington due to the comments on Huwara, and that no officials from the Biden administration are planning to meet him as a result.
The same report also said that US Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, also expressed himself in an unprecedented manner and said of Smotrich, "I am really angry with him. He is a fool. He has a flight to Washington, and if I could, I would throw him off the plane."
The US Embassy in Israel would initially not comment on the report, but later denied Nides had made these comments.
Smotrich on Saturday night discussed his statement, which he made following the shooting attack in which Hallel and Yagel Yaniv were murdered.
"It wasn't the correct word, I misspoke," he clarified, but explained, "We need to be clear in our fight against terror."
He again stressed that "the statement was made in the heat of emotions. I'm embarrassed that I have to clarify and that there are those who think that I support harming innocent civilians."
Later on Saturday night, Smotrich also responded to Nides, saying, "I'm not angry at US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, and I'm convinced that he did not intend to incite to kill me when he said that they need to throw me off the plane. Just like I didn't mean to harm innocent civilians when I said that we need to wipe out Huwara."