Gaza could be a ‘real estate bonanza’, Israel’s Smotrich says
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said there’s a “business plan” to turn the Gaza Strip into a “real estate bonanza”.
In comments that caused controversy, Smotrich told an urban renewal conference in Tel Aviv that he is discussing with the Trump administration how to share the proceeds.
His comments came as the European Commission called for asset freezes and visa bans on him and fellow far-right government minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over their “extremist” rhetoric.
US President Donald Trump last year caused outrage after floating the idea of taking control of Gaza and relocating the Palestinian population to transform it into a “Riviera of the Middle East”.
The proposal has faced fierce criticism from much of the international community, with Trump accused of “openly calling for ethnic cleansing”.
Ophir Award victory for The Sea
Israel’s Culture Minister Miki Zohar has cut funding for the country’s most prestigious film awards ceremony, saying this year’s best feature winner “spits” on Israeli soldiers.
Zohar said he’s making the move in response to Tuesday’s Ophir Award victory for The Sea – a story about a Palestinian boy who sneaks into Israel from the occupied West Bank in a quest to see the sea for the first time in his life. The film will now be Israel’s nominee for the Oscars.
In a statement on X, Zohar – a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party – said he’s halting funding for the ceremony because of what he described as the film’s pro-Palestinian bent and its depiction of Israeli troops.
“On my watch the citizens of Israel will not pay out of their pockets for a disgraceful ceremony that spits on the heroic Israeli soldiers,” he said.
No Other Land, a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, won this year’s Oscar for best documentary. That film looked at efforts by Palestinian activists to prevent the Israeli military from demolishing their community in the occupied West Bank.
