Israel's Chief Rabbi Incites Destruction of Gaza

Occupied Jerusalem – Agencies: The Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, David Yosef, denied the existence of the Palestinian people and their rights, claiming that the Gaza Strip and the cities of Nablus and Jenin in the occupied West Bank “belong to Israel,” while simultaneously inciting the destruction of the Strip. Yosef stated, “The meaning of redemption is that the land of Israel returns to us, all the land of Israel,” adding, “Gaza is the land of Israel, Gaza is ours, Nablus is ours, Jenin is ours, all of it is ours.” These claims contradict the international legal position, which considers the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip as occupied Palestinian territories, and affirms the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. In remarks that included direct incitement to destroy the Gaza Strip, Yosef referred to the “Gush Katif” settlements from which Israel withdrew in 2005, alleging that the Jewish temples that remained after the withdrawal were “desecrated.” He added, “For this reason alone, all of Gaza deserves to be destroyed, and we must return to it.” Yosef did not stop at calling for a return to Gaza; he also denied the existence of the Palestinian people and their rights, stating that Palestinians “are not a people,” and that they “have never been a people, and have no rights.”