Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich responded to US Ambassador Tom Nides’ reported statement that “Smotrich’s a fool. He has a flight to Washington, if I could, I would throw him off the plane.” Nides’ statement was a reaction to Smotrich’s remark that “Huwara should be wiped out” following the murder of the Yaniv brothers in the town. “I’m not angry at Nides and I’m sure he didn’t intend to incite my murder when he said that I should be thrown from the plane just as I didn’t intend to harm innocent people when I said that Huwara should be wiped out,” Smotrich stated. “People sometimes use harsh expressions that they don’t mean literally in order to convey a harsh message. It happens to everyone.” Following Smotrich’s statement, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thanked him for his clarification and slammed the “international community” for condemning Smotrich while completely ignoring the Palestinian Authority’s failure to condemn the murder of the Yaniv brothers as well as of its support and incitement of terrorism. “It is important for all of us to work to tone down the rhetoric and lower the temperature,” Netanyahu said. “That includes speaking out forcefully against inappropriate statements and even correcting our own statements when we misspeak or when our words are taken out of context. “That is why I want to thank Minister Betzalel Smotrich for making clear that his choice of words regarding the vigilante attacks on Harrawa following the murder of the Yaniv brothers was inappropriate and that he is strongly opposed to intentionally harming innocent civilians “While Minister Smotrich clarified his position, I am still waiting to hear a condemnation from the Palestinian Authority for the murder of the Yaniv brothers. “And Israel is waiting for the international community to insist that the PA condemn that attack. “Not only has it not done so, it continues to turn a blind eye to the PA’s rampant incitement, to the disgusting spectacle of Palestinians handing out sweets to celebrate terror attacks against Jews and to the official PA pay-to-slay policy, in which the PA pays terrorists to murder Jews. The international community’s silence in the face of Palestinian support for terrorism must finally come to an end. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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