Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu expressed support for “voluntary immigration” of Palestinian civilians out of Gaza - the latest coalition lawmaker to suggest such a move.
In an interview on Israeli news site Ynet on Monday, the minister was asked about his support of the proposed transfer of Gazans out of their homes. “This isn’t a transfer,” he replied. “We are talking about a desire to improve the living situation of Gazans…the ones that refuse to live in these conditions.”
Eliyahu’s comments elicited laughter from the reporters in the studio, who joked, “Right, right, as if not having a parking spot or an elevator…” The Otzma Yehudit lawmaker also laughed before responding in a more serious tone: “You have taken it to a specific extreme, I took it to a different place. But what we are suggesting is really voluntary immigration.”
I wasn’t mad. I was making a joke. I appreciated the nuance.