But Netanyahu also pushed back against censure of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing foreign powers of playing down Palestinian violence like the Feb. 26 killing of two Israeli brothers in Huwara village that sparked a settler rampage there.
Smotrich said last week that while he opposed vigilantism, he believed “that Huwara needs to be erased” by Israel.
The U.S. State Department called the comments “irresponsible,” “repugnant” and “disgusting” and said Netanyahu should reject and disavow them.
The U.N. human rights chief said Smotrich had made “an unfathomable statement of incitement to violence”.
With Israeli media speculating that Smotrich, who is due to visit Washington next week, would be snubbed by the U.S. administration and complicate its ties to the Netanyahu government, he offered a retraction on Saturday but no apology.
“Being upset, I misspoke,” Smotrich told Channel 12 TV.
The Palestinians…
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