‘They are not dying of hunger’: Israeli National Religious Party questioned on Gaza aid

We spoke to Simcha Rothman. He’s a member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party – that’s part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.

This is an extreme right-wing party, their leader has called for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and they’re very reluctant to allow any aid in.

Lindsey Hilsum: Well, earlier I spoke to Simcha Rothman. He’s a member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party. That’s part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. Now, this is an extreme right-wing party. Their leader has called, basically, for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. And they are very reluctant to allow in any aid.

Simcha Rothman: Israel, until now, has more protection of human life and children in Gaza than every…

Lindsey Hilsum: Come on, these children are dying of hunger because you have not been allowing aid in.

Simcha Rothman: They are not dying of hunger, and in any conflict that England was involved in the past, in this kind of environment, there were more innocent civilians killed and suffering hunger and everything else.

Lindsey Hilsum: Mr Smotrich, your leader, has said that the people of Gaza should leave. That the aim is to get them to leave.

Simcha Rothman: It’s a combat zone. When there is a combat zone, when there is a terrorist organisation who is hiding behind civilians, you should let them run away. And if you are blocking them, you are aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation using them as human shields. That’s not a moral thing to do. And if the United Kingdom wants to be a humanitarian country, that cares about human rights and human lives, they would help the Gazans, who want to leave the area, leave and not aid Hamas to use them as human shields.

Lindsey Hilsum: I’ve got an idea, why don’t you let them come over the border into Israel? Why don’t they flee into Israel?

Simcha Rothman: Because they are our enemies.

Lindsey Hilsum: The children are your enemies?

Simcha Rothman: They are our enemies and according to international treaties about refugees in the time of war, you don’t let them conquer your country with refugees.

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