Hundreds of activists from different Palestinian and Jewish advocacy groups demonstrated against far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s visit to Washington D.C., on Sunday, Israeli media reported.
According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, protesters gathered in front of the Grand Hyatt hotel, where Smotrich was attended to address an Israel Bonds leadership gala on Sunday evening.
“While the Israeli protesters largely focused their anti-Smotrich chants on his racist rhetoric and the ongoing judicial coup, many of the progressive speakers pointedly brought up Palestinians and their treatment under Israel’s occupation of the West Bank,” Ben Samuels wrote in Haaretz, commenting on the protest.
Breaking! Hundreds of Israeli & American Jews protesting the Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as he is speaking at Israel Bonds dinner in Washington DC.
The protesters includes wide range of political views united in opposition against Netanyahu’s regime coup efforts. pic.twitter.com/MS4JHnZ8ko— Gili Getz #SaveMasaferYatta (@giligetz) March 12, 2023
Over the last few days, a growing number of advocacy groups urged the United States to denySmotrich entry to the country after his calls to “wipe out” the Palestinian village of Huwwara.
“I think the village of Huwwara needs to be wiped out. I think the state of Israel should do it,” Smotrich said during a press conference last week.
The US State Department condemned Smotrich’s comments, slamming them as “repugnant” and “disgusting”. However, it failed to follow the condemnation with action.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
