Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Tuesday for Muslim countries to absorb Gazans who voluntarily choose to leave the Strip, arguing that such a policy “is not racism,” while also calling for Israel to permanently apply sovereignty over territory it holds in Gaza and Lebanon.
Speaking at the National Conservatism Conference, or NatCon, in Jerusalem, Smotrich presented the proposals as part of a wider doctrine for ending Israel’s current wars and reshaping its regional deterrence.
“Encouraging the voluntary migration of Muslims who seek to leave conflict zones specifically to Muslim countries is not racism,” Smotrich said.
“The natural destination is the Muslim Arab countries, which share their language, religion and culture,” he added, stressing that he was calling for “a real, legal and dignified possibility” for those wishing to leave rather than forced removal.
The distinction is significant. International humanitarian law prohibits the forcible transfer or deportation of civilians from occupied territory. Arab governments have also repeatedly rejected proposals to resettle large numbers of Gazans outside the Strip.
Smotrich’s remarks build on a position he has advocated since shortly after the October 7 massacre. He previously called for Gaza’s population to be dramatically reduced through voluntary emigration, and last year proposed that Israel retain control of the Strip and “open the gates of Gaza for voluntary immigration.”
The idea has also moved beyond Smotrich: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in July that “voluntary migration” from Gaza remained under consideration, although he has been less supportive of reestablishing Israeli settlements there.
The debate comes as Israel continues to control more than 60% of Gaza nearly a year after the US-backed ceasefire took effect, while Hamas remains armed and reconstruction has largely stalled.