Israeli rabbi calls for Palestinians’ expulsion from occupied West Bank

An Israeli rabbi has called for Palestinians to be expelled from the occupied West Bank, claiming that non-Jews have no national rights in what he described as the "land of Israel."

In footage published Sunday by Al Jazeera English, Menachem Ben Shahar is heard telling a group that Arabs who refuse to accept Jewish sovereignty should leave the territory.

Ben Shahar also said that even a 5-year-old child "loses his right to exist" if the child's parents are considered "enemies," according to the broadcaster.

The date and precise location of the encounter were not immediately clear.

Israeli police detained and questioned Ben Shahar in October 2025 on suspicion of spreading extremist messages and inciting violence against Palestinians, according to Israeli media. He had previously called for the Palestinian town of Huwara to be "wiped out."

All Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice said in a July 2024 advisory opinion that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should end "as rapidly as possible."