Israel's Ben Gvir Suggests Sending Gazans to France
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has again called for the mass emigration of Gazans, suggesting France, Great Britain, and London as potential destinations. He linked this to a future Israeli conquest of Gaza and cited the October 7th attack as justification for encouraging departures. Ben-Gvir also reiterated his ambition to become Defense Minister and his past calls for stronger military action against Gaza. His comments, made before Israeli elections, are likely to provoke further international reactions.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir suggested sending Gazans to France, Great Britain, and London.
- Ben-Gvir linked emigration to a future Israeli conquest of the entire Gaza Strip.
- He cited the October 7th Hamas attack as justification for encouraging Gazan departures.
- Ben-Gvir reiterated his desire to become Defense Minister after the elections.
- His statements precede Israeli elections and follow previous international criticism.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has reiterated his call for the mass departure of Gaza's inhabitants, this time suggesting France as a potential destination. In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Ben-Gvir stated that Israel should control the entire Gaza Strip and "encourage emigration" of its population, proposing France, Great Britain, and London as possible locations where Gazans could find better living conditions and employment.
Ben-Gvir's remarks align with a proposal reportedly made by former U.S. President Donald Trump in February 2025, which suggested relocating approximately two million Gazans to other countries, though this initiative has not materialized. The minister had previously highlighted France on social media, sharing AI-generated videos depicting Gazans being transported to Paris. He framed emigration as a consequence of a future Israeli conquest of the enclave, asserting, "We must conquer the entire territory. Absolutely everything. It is our land, the land of the Jewish people. And we must encourage emigration."
When questioned about Gazans unwilling to leave their homes, Ben-Gvir cited the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, arguing that a significant portion of the population participated directly or indirectly in the violence and hostage-taking. He rejected the notion that Hamas's actions involved only a limited number of individuals.
The leader of Otzma Yehudit also reaffirmed his intention to seek the Defense Ministry portfolio after the upcoming elections. He previously stated his desire to use this position to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, promote Palestinian emigration, and alter IDF rules of engagement. Ben-Gvir also repeated his earlier advocacy within the cabinet for more significant strikes against Gaza and targeted assassinations before October 7, 2023, believing the government should have acted more decisively then.
These latest statements regarding France come just days before Israeli elections and are expected to draw further international criticism, adding to existing condemnation of Ben-Gvir's stances on Gaza and Palestinians.
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