Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Palestinians to "voluntarily emigrate" to Western countries on Tuesday in response to an op-ed by Likud MK Danny Danon and Yesh Atid MK Ram Ben Barak that was published in the Wall Street Journal and called on Western countries to accept Gazan refugees.
"I welcome the initiative of voluntary relocation of Gazan Arabs to countries worldwide," Smotrich wrote. "This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the whole area after 75 years of being poor refugees. The majority of Gaza is fourth and fifth generations to 1948 refugees who, instead of being rehabilitated long ago like hundreds of millions of refugees around the world, were held hostage in Gaza in poverty and overcrowding and were a symbol of the desire to destroy the State of Israel and of the refugees' return to Jaffa, Haifa, Acre, and Tiberias."
He went on to say this has bred the hatred for Israel and Jews "upon which the population in Gaza is raised and educated" and led them to believe that the only solution is the destruction of Israel.
"The small area of the Gaza Strip, which doesn't have any natural resources or independent sources of income, has no chance of independent, economic, and diplomatic existence in such high density long-term," he went on. "Therefore, the only solution to end the suffering and the pain of Jews and Arabs alike is for countries around the world who truly want what's good for the refugees to accept them along with support and economic aid from the international community, including the State of Israel."
World must accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza, MKs write to WSJ
Contrary to Smotrich, Danon and Ben Barak's op-ed didn't call for Palestinians to necessarily emigrate but only urged Western countries to accept refugees who wanted to relocate.
The MKs explained in their piece that Hamas's October 7 attack endangered the lives of the two million residents of Gaza as it led to the current war.
They also added that the Gazans are further endangered by Hamas believing that it bears no responsibility for the people it rules and by Hamas's theft of humanitarian deliveries such as food, medical supplies, and fuel.
"Last month, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for an 'immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce' and demanded that all parties allow 'continuous, sufficient, and unhindered' provision of essential supplies and services into the Gaza Strip," the two MKs wrote. "As the war continues, however, UN resolutions are doing nothing tangible to help Gaza's residents."
As such, Danon and Ben Barak suggested that countries around the world, particularly Western countries, accept limited numbers of refugees who want to leave Gaza.
They then gave examples of when European countries and the US accepted refugees and asylum seekers both from within Europe and without.
"Looking at these examples, countries around the world should offer a haven for Gaza residents who seek relocation," they wrote. "Countries can accomplish this by creating well-structured and internationally coordinated relocation programs. Members of the international community can collaborate to provide one-time financial support packages to Gazans interested in moving to help with relocation costs to ease refugees' acclimation to their new communities."
The two MKs finished by telling the world that it is their "moral imperative to demonstrate compassion" and help Gazans attain a more prosperous future.
Ben Barak later took to X, formerly Twitter, to say that the op-ed was clearly misunderstood to mean that all Gazans should necessarily leave, giving the piece heavy support from the Right and heavy criticism from the opposition.
He went on to explain that his stance was all about giving Gazans the right to choose one way or the other. If they want to leave, he believes the West should accept them, but they still have the right to choose to stay.
"I have hope that the Palestinian Authority or any other peaceful Palestinian entity with international help will take responsibility for Gaza and develop it for the benefit of the entire area and that a thriving Palestinian nation will be established alongside Israel," he wrote.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party, attacked Ben Barak for the clarification.
"It's extremely problematic that during a war, Ben Barak sees fit to compare [his] brothers to [his] enemies," he said. "His statement is severe and shows a man under pressure. After adopting the views of Otzma Yehudit this morning, he was pressured by [Yesh Atid leader Yair] Lapid and began to curse and incite just like his party head does."