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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Chris McGreal in New York

Biden administration grants US visa to extremist Israeli minister

Bezalel Smotrich
The US state department gave Bezalel Smotrich a diplomatic visa but no US officials will meet him. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

The Biden administration has granted a US visa to Israel’s extremist finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, over the objection of Jewish American leaders who said he should be barred from the country for his call to “wipe out” a Palestinian town.

The US state department gave Smotrich a diplomatic visa to speak at an investment conference in Washington DC on Sunday, and for meetings with the International Monetary Fund, after concluding that it would be highly unusual to refuse one to a member of the government of a close ally. But the White House said no US officials will meet him or attend the conference.

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