Israeli minister condemned for claiming ‘no such thing’ as Palestinian nation

Far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich has sparked renewed backlash after saying “there is no such thing as a Palestinian nation,” with US, French and Palestinian officials blasting the comments.

Smotrich made racist remarks while speaking at an event in the French capital, Paris, on Sunday.

“There is no such thing as a Palestinian nation. There is no Palestinian history. There is no Palestinian language,” he said.

“The Palestinian people is an invention that is less than 100 years old,” added Smotrich.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the comments are proof of the “racist” outlook of Israel’s new far-right government.

The comments were also slammed as “repugnant” and “disgusting” by the US Department of State and prompted the French government to boycott him during his visit to Paris.

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