Israeli Minister Pushes Back at CNN’s Amanpour on “Occupied Territory” – Joshua Levitt (Algemeiner)

(Daily Alert)

    In a television interview on Monday, Israel’s Economy Minister Naftali Bennett objected to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour’s insistence on referring to “occupied territories.”

    “Since you say the term ‘occupied,’ I have to point out, I’m holding a coin here from Jerusalem,” he said, lifting the coin up to the camera.

    “It’s an international term, Mr. Bennett,” she insisted.

    “I know,” Bennett said, “and I don’t accept it. Because this coin, which says in Hebrew, ‘Freedom of Zion,’ was used by Jews in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago in the state of Israel in what you call ‘occupied’  [land]. One cannot occupy his own home.”

    “The building of communities there is not a hindrance to peace. Only 7% of the entire West Bank, or Judea and Samaria, is built [up] today, 93% is open, so no-one is stopping peace.”