Overview
- Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich told delegates at MK Ohad Tal’s “Conference of Decision” on Thursday that he relayed a private meeting in which U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, freshly returned from a Gaza visit, said he would not allow “two million Nazis” to live next to Israeli children.
- Smotrich said the comment followed Witkoff viewing graphic October 7 footage in Gaza and that he made the remark soon after Witkoff’s appointment, in a meeting that also included Ron Dermer.
- The central quote and account come only from Smotrich’s public remarks and have not been independently corroborated in the published coverage, and outlets report that the White House had not publicly confirmed the wording.
- Smotrich used the alleged vow to push for permanent territorial penalties against Israel’s enemies and for a long-term security zone in Lebanon as a way to prevent future attacks.
- The story has prompted sharply different emphases in coverage, with right-leaning outlets running Smotrich’s account as proof of allied backing and other outlets highlighting the inflammatory language, verification gaps, and the potential diplomatic fallout for U.S.-Israel relations.