Israeli Minister Sparks US Rebuke with Denial of Palestinian Identity

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denied the existence of a Palestinian people or nationhood, prompting a rebuke from the United States. Smotrich argued that the idea of Palestinian nationhood was invented in response to the Zionist movement to found modern-day Israel. The Palestinian Authority presidency slammed Smotrich’s remarks as “racist,” calling them “an attempt to falsify history.” Smotrich’s comments came on the same day that Israeli and Palestinian officials met in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, to try and calm tensions ahead of the Ramadan and Passover holidays.