Israeli president says forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza ‘absolutely not’ position of government

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Sunday that the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza is “absolutely not” the position of the Israeli government, despite widely rebuked remarks from a few Cabinet members embracing this position.

“Absolutely, absolutely not,” Herzog said in an interview on NBC News’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, when asked whether Palestinian displacement in Gaza was the official position of the Israeli government. “Totally not agreed or is not the position of the Israeli government, or the Israeli parliament, or the Israeli public.”

“I’m saying outright, officially and unequivocally: This is not the Israeli position,” Herzog added.

His remarks come after some high-level Cabinet officials have come under fire advocating the resettlement of Palestinians outside Gaza. In the interview, Herzog was asked about remarks from the country’s heritage minister, who reportedly said about Palestinians in Gaza, “You will not be here. You will not live by our side, and that is the main point. We should encourage them to leave the place.”

In response, Herzog stressed Israel is a democracy and said Cabinet ministers are free to express their views, even if they don’t represent the official position of the government.

“But we are a democracy, and in democracy, you have a variety of ideas. And in a variety of ideas, and in a society where free speech is the basis of our national DNA, people can say whatever they want,” Herzog said. “So, in a Cabinet of 30 ministers where it’s not the security Cabinet, a minister can say whatever he wants. I may not like it, but this is Israeli politics.”

He added: “And, by the way, you have in America people who say things which you don’t like. But that doesn’t mean it’s the policy of the administration.”

In Israel’s parliamentary democracy, Herzog serves as head of state but does not participate in partisan politics or legislative affairs. Herzog noted this unique position when side-stepping a question on whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the right leader for the moment.

He also did not respond directly to a question on whether Netanyahu should similarly publicly state that displacement is not the Israeli government’s position.