Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Jan. 11. Photo: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's call for the Palestinian village of Hawara to be wiped out by the Israeli government is "irresponsible, repugnant and disgusting," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Smotrich, a far-right Israeli settler known for his Jewish supremacist rhetoric, is also the minister in the Ministry of Defense in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank. Many, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, have accused Smotrich of inciting "war crimes" over his comments and actions related to the violence in Hawara.
Driving the news: After Israeli authorities said a Palestinian gunman killed two Israelis who were driving in Hawara on Sunday, Smotrich liked a tweet that called for the village to be wiped off the map.
What they're saying: Asked at a public conference on Wednesday why he liked the since-deleted tweet about Hawara, Smotrich said in comments caught on camera: “Because I think the village of Huwara needs to be wiped out. I think the State of Israel should do it."
Price at a briefing later Wednesday said the Biden administration condemns Smotrich’s comments and defines them as “incitement to violence."
Hussein al-Sheikh, the Palestinian minister for civilian affairs, on Twitter called for "international human rights organizations" to prosecute Smotrich "on charges of calling for massacres against Palestinians."
What to watch: Smotrich is expected to visit the U.S. the second week of March for a meeting of the Israel Bonds organization.
Go deeper: Israel often did not prevent settler attacks against Palestinians in 2021, U.S. report finds
Editor's note: This story and headline have been updated with Hussein al-Sheikh's and Ned Price's comments.