Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has made clear that there are no plans in place to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, amidst uproar caused by comments from government ministers. On Saturday, the president took to Twitter to issue a statement, asserting “We are a Jewish and democratic state. We do not transfer populations.” He explained that, despite any differences in opinion, Israelis must recognize the rights of all people living in Israel and conduct themselves with respect and responsibility. This statement comes after a number of Israeli ministers had expressed support for expelling Palestinians from Gaza for suspected security reasons. The comments sparked immense outrage from the Israeli public, due to the violaton of human rights. Interior Minister Aryeh Deri and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked joined forces in pushing back against the idea on Saturday, both reiterating the need to uphold Israel’s democratic values. This collaboration set the stage for the president’s announcement. Rivlin even issued a direct response to an Israeli minister’s suggestion to strip Palestinians of their right to vote in the Knesset, commenting that “The Jewish people know what happened to us when we were not the ones to decide on our fate. There are those in the world whose mission is to boycott and delegitimize the State of Israel, and we must not give them a club in their hands to do so.” It remains to be seen if the president’s comments will effectively resolve the uproar caused by the comments of his ministers. Either way, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the continued political divides in Israel and the need to maintain respect and responsibility throughout the region.