Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi confirmed today, Tuesday, that the Israeli government must clearly state that the remarks made by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich do not represent it, following actions described as provocative and racist. Safadi added in a press conference that Jordan will take necessary positions should provocations increase, reiterating Amman's rejection of the Israeli minister's provocative statements, calling them inciting and racist. He stated that Israeli officials confirmed in communications yesterday, Monday, their commitment to respecting Jordan's borders and the peace agreement.
Yesterday, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador Eitan Surkis to protest Smotrich's behavior, who spoke on a platform featuring a map of Israel with expanded borders including the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Palestinian territories. Minister Smotrich denied the existence of a Palestinian people, asserting it to be a "fake invention that has not exceeded 100 years," following his remarks calling for the "eradication" of the town of Hawara in Nablus.
In its comments, the Israeli Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Israel's commitment to the peace agreement with Jordan and acknowledged the integrity of all Jordanian territories. Israeli National Security Council Chairman Tzachi Hanegbi also called Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi to affirm Israel's commitment to the peace agreement and the integrity of Jordan's territory.
For his part, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh deemed the Israeli finance minister's statements as "inciting" and definitive evidence of extremist racist Zionist ideology.
### Responses to the Statements
In reaction from Arab nations, Saudi Arabia condemned and denounced the offensive and racist remarks directed at Palestine and its people. The Foreign Ministry stated that the Kingdom rejects these statements that contribute to spreading hate speech and violence, undermining efforts for dialogue and international peace. The ministry reiterated the Kingdom's support for all international efforts aimed at resolving the Palestinian issue based on the Arab Peace Initiative and ensuring the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Similarly, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry rejected these irresponsible and inciting statements regarding Palestine, which carry racial undertones that deny historical and geographical facts, inflaming feelings of anger and resentment among the Palestinian people and the world at large.
