The Embassy of the State of Palestine in the Republic of Cyprus has called on the Cypriot government, political parties and the House of Representatives to condemn recent statements by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. According to the embassy, the minister "effectively declared war on the Palestinian people, the Palestinian National Authority and the institutions of the State of Palestine".
Allegations against the Israeli finance minister
In a statement, the embassy said Mr Smotrich had called "openly for a repetition in the West Bank of what is being committed in the Gaza Strip and for the dissolution of the Palestinian national entity".
Call on Cypriot institutions
The embassy urged "the Government, the political parties and the House of Representatives to condemn these statements in the spirit of international law, peace and the protection of civilians".
Claims of incitement and breaches of international law
According to the statement, "the Israeli minister's statements constitute direct incitement to further military escalation, mass displacement, destruction and annexation of Palestinian territories, in flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations".
Concern over the absence of an Israeli government response
The embassy described as "particularly worrying the fact that, so far, there has been no public distancing by the Israeli Government from these dangerous statements". In its view, this "reveals the intentions of the Israeli occupation Government for a bloody confrontation with the Palestinian Authority, with the ultimate aim of dissolving it".
Appeal to the international community
The embassy stated that "the international community must reject any rhetoric that fuels the conflict and strengthen efforts to end the occupation and achieve a two-state solution, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions".
