Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich praised new US President Donald Trump for his statement that Palestinians from the Gaza Strip should be resettled to Arab countries, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
"After 76 years in which most of the population of Gaza was held in harsh conditions to support the goal of destroying Israel, the idea of helping them by finding other places where they could start a new and good life is extraordinary," he wrote in Hebrew in an article in "Ex".
For years, politicians have presented unworkable proposals, such as the creation of a Palestinian state, which would threaten Israel's existence and security, he stressed Smotrich.
Only "out-of-the-box thinking" about new approaches can bring peace and security, he added, and pledged to work with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to implement Trump's plan.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One earlier today, Trump suggested that Egypt and Jordan accept residents from the Gaza Strip. The move could be long-term or temporary while the devastated region is rebuilt, he said.
Smotrich has in the past supported Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip. Trump's predecessor, former President Joe Biden, rejected the idea. A year ago, Smotrich said that if Israel did the right thing, Palestinians would emigrate. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, ("Jewish Power"), who resigned last week as Secretary of Homeland Security, also supported Trump's proposal.