Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Wednesday that the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him is for 'killing the idea of a Palestinian state,' not for violence. Speaking at a conference, he warned that a weak coalition under Gadi Eisenkot would evacuate settlements and establish a Palestinian state.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed a conference run by the Shaalim network on Wednesday afternoon, framing the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against him as an ideological battle rather than a criminal charge. 'There is an arrest warrant against me from The Hague — not over violence, but because I am killing the idea of a Palestinian state,' Smotrich said. He warned that an Eisenkot-led government would evacuate settlements and establish a Palestinian state, claiming that Naftali Bennett in that government would advance Palestinian autonomy in Judea and Samaria.
Smotrich's remarks echo warnings he has made repeatedly in recent weeks. In the same speech, he said his government is 'removing an existential threat from the people of Israel, budgeting tens of billions for the periphery, and taking care of reservists without asking who votes for whom.' The event was photographed by Netanel Cohen.
The ICC warrant against Smotrich was issued earlier this year, drawing sharp domestic divisions. Smotrich has repeatedly dismissed the court's authority, while insisting his policies are about preventing Palestinian statehood, not committing crimes. No independent corroboration of the warrant's specific wording was available in the source material.
2 developments
- DevelopingSmotrich warns Bennett government would evacuate new West Bank outposts, establish Palestinian state
- StrongSmotrich says Gaza deal bad for Israel, vows to continue campaign in 'creative ways'
- DevelopingSmotrich warns of EU-backed plot to reverse West Bank settlement drive
- DevelopingEisenkot petitions to remove Smotrich AI video claiming his party would establish Palestinian state
Source and signal
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