Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Sunday that it was “absolutely not” the Israeli government's position to force the evacuation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. However, statements from several ministers supporting this position were widely condemned.
“Absolutely, absolutely not,” Herzog said in an interview Sunday on NBC News' “Meet the Press” when asked if the forced displacement of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip was an official position of the Israeli government. Stated. “I completely disagree and it is not the position of the Israeli government, the Israeli parliament, or the Israeli people.”
“I want to say frankly, publicly and clearly: this is not Israel's position,” Herzog added.
His comments came after some senior cabinet ministers came under fire for advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza. In the interview, Herzog was asked about comments made by the country's heritage minister, who reportedly said about Palestinians in the Gaza Strip: You're not going to live with us, that's the point. We should encourage them to leave. ”
In response, Prime Minister Herzog stressed that Israel is a democracy and said ministers are free to express their opinions even if they do not represent the government's official position.
“But we are a democracy, and in a democracy there are different ideas. And among different ideas, in a society where free speech is fundamental to our country's DNA, people say… You can say whatever you want,” Herzog said. “So in a cabinet of 30 ministers, which is not a security cabinet, ministers can say whatever they want. You may not like it, but this is Israeli politics.”
Furthermore, he added: “By the way, there are people in America who say things you don't like. But that doesn't mean that's the policy of the administration.”
In Israel's parliamentary democracy, Mr. Herzog serves as the head of state but does not get involved in partisan politics or legislative matters. Herzog pointed to this unique position when he dodged a question about whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the right leader at this time.
Prime Minister Netanyahu also did not directly respond to a question about whether he should publicly state that forced evictions are not the Israeli government's position.
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