Australia raises concerns with Israel about minister’s remarks on Palestinians

Israelis have taken to the streets to protest against the far-right government. Photograph: Amir Levy/Getty Images

The Australian government has raised concerns with the Israeli government over a minister’s “inflammatory” remarks about the Palestinian people, Guardian Australia can reveal.

Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has provoked outrage by saying there was “no such thing as a Palestinian people”, just weeks after he said the Palestinian town of Huwara in the West Bank should be “erased”.