“Israel is in deep trauma… too much pain and sorrow.”
Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog recently clarified that his country’s coalition government’s claim about the forced relocation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is not his country’s official position.
In an interview with NBC’s weekend current affairs show ‘Meet the Press’ on the 7th (local time), President Herzog was asked, ‘Is the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza the official position of the Israeli government?’ He answered “absolutely not.”
In the Israeli government, which is comprised of a right-wing coalition government, there has been controversy over comments made by extreme right-wing cabinet members suggesting the forced relocation of Gaza residents as the war against Hamas continues to prolong.
Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, for example, was reported to have recently said of Gaza residents, “You will not be here,” and “We must encourage them to leave.”
However, President Herzog said on this day, “I completely disagree with (such remarks), and this is not the position of the Israeli government, the Israeli parliament, or the Israeli public.”
However, he added, “We are a democratic country, and there are diverse ideas in democratic countries.” “In a society where free speech is fundamental to the country’s DNA, people can say whatever they want,” he said.
In this context, President Herzog emphasized, “In a cabinet of 30 ministers, one minister can say whatever he wants,” and “I may not like it, but that’s Israeli politics.”
He further emphasized that “they (those who spoke of migration) are talking about voluntarily leaving the Gaza Strip,” and then said again, “Officially and without ambiguity, (forced migration) is not Israel’s position.”
Meanwhile, today marks three months since Hamas’s ‘Al-Aqsa flood’ surprise attack. President Herzog said, “We are in deep trauma,” and “We have witnessed so much anguish, pain, and sadness over the past three months.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.