On video: Not only Vogel: Smotrich also says that Hvara should be "erased" (TheMarker Labels financial conference)
The United States Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved this evening (Thursday) Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's request for a "diplomatic visa" ahead of his visit to the country next week.
The office of the Minister of Finance verified the facts and said that the visa application was approved.
The US State Department has held discussions in recent days regarding the question of whether to refuse to give a diplomatic visa to Smotrich - against the background of his call to "erase" the Palestinian village of Hawara.
Earlier today, however, US Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs Barbara Leaf said the administration saw that Smotrich had gone back on his words about "erasing" the village of Hawara - including in a lengthy post on his Facebook page this morning.
Smotrich is expected to arrive in Washington on Sunday next week to attend a conference of the Bundes Organization.
His request was approved a day after he apologized.
Smotrich (photo: Roni Knafo)
Last week, Smotrich said the call about Hvara, which created the storm, following the statements of some members of his party, who sided with the atrocities committed by dozens of settlers in the Palestinian settlement.
"The State of Israel should do it. God forbid, not private individuals. I called for calming the spirits and under no circumstances to be dragged into anarchy where people take the law into their own hands. What contributes to the intensification of passions is that people are murdered on the roads," he said.
Yesterday, Smotrich said that he had failed in his responsibility and that he was "required to take stock".
"When I hear serious people attribute such terrible intentions to me in all seriousness, I can no longer resolve myself by blaming others. I am required to take stock," he wrote.
"I assumed that if someone is able to attribute to me a call for the indiscriminate killing of women and children, it's only from his fevered mind, and that he doesn't really believe it either and is doing it on purpose to hurt me," Smotrich wrote in an open letter to citizens.
"But when it comes from good, smart, serious and dedicated people, who devote the best of their years to Israel's security, and when I hear that such serious people attribute such terrible intentions to me in all seriousness, I can no longer resolve myself by blaming others."
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