harsh criticism USA caused by the statements of the Minister of Finance of Israel, Bezalel Smotrichwho on Wednesday told a reporter at an Israeli business magazine conference Markerthat “I think that the city of Ouara should be wiped off the map,” and added: “But I think that this should be done by the State of Israel, and not, for God’s sake, by individual citizens,” Smotrich said after the incidents that occurred in a small town a few days ago.

State Department spokesman Ned Price later said: “These statements are disgusting, embarrassing and offensive. I call on President Netanyahu to publicly renounce them.” “We consistently condemn terrorism and extremism in all its forms and continue to call for the establishment of equal penalties for extremist acts, regardless of the origin of the perpetrators or victims. And just as we condemn the armed attacks by the Palestinians, we also condemn these statements that only lead to an escalation of violence,” Price added, when asked about Smotrich’s statements.

Arrests for pogroms

The Israeli finance minister’s statements came just days after the small town of Ouara became the theater of bloody incidents when two Israeli brothers, 20 and 22, were gunned down by a Palestinian on Sunday afternoon. The attack was followed by acts of violence by Israeli settlers, who attacked Palestinian property, set fire to houses, cars and vandalized shops, killing at least one Palestinian and injuring many others.

Israel’s military commander in the West Bank, Yehuda Fuchs, said on Tuesday that it was a “pogrom.” “We weren’t prepared for the mayhem from the crowd of dozens of people who come with incendiary devices and set fire to random Palestinian houses, cars, etc. – this is unfounded terrorism,” Fuchs said in an unusually harsh remark by an Israeli military official against Israeli settlers. “What happened in Khovar was a pogrom by illegal elements,” he added, referring to the settler attackers, who – in addition to the Palestinians – also clashed with the Israeli army, which the Palestinians accuse of not stopping the settlers from inflicting damage . A total of fourteen Israelis, including two minors, were arrested on charges of damaging foreign property, assault, arson and disturbing the peace, according to an Israeli police statement. “The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected,” the statement said.