Netanyahu’s ministers join far-right ‘March to Gaza’, demand Palestinians’ expulsion

Thousands of Israelis march with national flags in the southern city of Sderot calling for Israel to reoccupy the Gaza Strip once the war is over, 14 May 2024

Noa Shpigel and The Associated Press report in Haaretz on 14 May 2024:

Thousands of Israelis joined a far-right Independence Day march on Tuesday in the south, led by Jewish activists advocating for resettling Gaza and forcing Palestinians to leave the enclave.

Two activists participating in the march crossed the border into Gaza and were arrested by Israeli forces near the Erez crossing.

The march was supported by lawmakers speaking at the event, including two cabinet members: Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who is a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of Otzma Yehudit.

The Israeli military withdrew from Gaza in 2005, uprooting some 9,000 settlers in a move that bitterly divided Israel.

“In order to preserve the security achievements that our soldiers lost their lives for, we must resettle Gaza with security forces and settlers that will embrace the land with love,” Karhi said. He said that “this is the only real way to make the Hamas Nazis pay a price and to defend our nation and country.”

Ben-Gvir also spoke at the march, saying that what the protesters are calling for was the “true solution”.  “First”, he said, “we must return to Gaza now! We are coming home to the Holy Land! And second,” he continued, “we must encourage emigration. Encourage the voluntary emigration of the residents of Gaza. It is moral!”  The far-right minister also added stated that he opposes transferring humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, saying: “Want humanitarian aid?… Want food for the children in Gaza? Then they should return [the young Israeli hostages] Ariel and Kfir Bibas. Want women in Gaza to have a roof over their heads? Then they should return [Israeli hostage] Shiri Bibas and all the other hostages.”

Israeli security officials slammed Ben-Gvir’s comments, with one official telling Haaretz, “Ben-Gvir’s opposition to Gaza aid contradicts the cabinet’s decision, given that he’s a cabinet member who should uphold its decisions.”

Regarding the minister’s remarks at the march, the official added, “They fuel Monday’s riots, leading to the burning and destruction of aid convoys, causing significant international harm. His behavior is immature and irresponsible.”  Lawmaker Zvi Sukkot of the Religious Zionism party also addressed the marchers, referencing the 2005 Gaza disengagement and saying, “The responsibility for the October 7 massacre lies with those who expelled the Jews from Gush Katif,” the main settlement bloc that was in Gaza.

“We want to tell everybody in Israel and everybody in the world that Gaza is very, very important to us, and it has to be again in Israeli hands,” said Smadar Dei, one of the demonstrators, said. “Because if it isn’t in Israeli hands, we won’t end the things that we started doing in this war.”

On Tuesday, Israel’s Independence Day, supporters snaked through the city of Sderot, near the Gaza border, waving Israeli flags, dancing, and singing songs in Hebrew against the backdrop of outgoing Israeli shelling into Gaza followed by plumes of smoke.

Rockets were also fired into Sderot from Gaza on Tuesday as people ducked for cover.

Supporters of reoccupying Gaza said the only way to secure Israel is by expanding Jewish settlements across the territory.  “Instead of this smoke we want to see Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip,” said Daniella Weiss, one of the organizers who’s known as the godmother of the settler movement.  “No more smoke or bombs, no more shelling on Sderot”, she said.

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