Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: YouTube screenshot.

JNS.org – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement on Friday charging the Palestinian Authority (PA) with intentions of “ethnic cleansing” by hoping to establish a state in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) with “no Jews” continues to make waves.

In Sunday’s Israeli cabinet meeting, Yuval Steinitz (Likud), the national infrastructure, energy and water resources minister, voiced his support for Netanyahu.

“It’s not the prime minister who talks about ethnic cleansing. [His] remarks reflect what the Palestinians themselves say,” Steinitz said. “[The Palestinians] talk about ethnic cleansing in their own school system and speeches. Netanyahu told the truth.”

Steinitz added that “when the Palestinians talk about being ‘cleansed’ of Jews, they don’t mean just [in] Judea and Samaria, but rather the entire country.”

On Sunday, PA President Mahmoud Abbas issued his first response to Netanyahu’s comments.

“Israel is the one that is ethnically cleansing the Palestinians,” Abbas said in a speech in honor of the Eid al-Adha holiday.

Abbas continued, “Israel is isolated internationally, because it has no interest in moving the peace process ahead, even by one step.”