Israeli ambassador incites execution of Palestinian children

VIENNA, Mar. 24 (YPA) – In a new diplomatic scandal that has sparked widespread controversy, a secretly recorded video has emerged of remarks made by David Roth, the Israeli ambassador to Austria, during a private meeting with members of the Jewish community in Innsbruck.

During the meeting, Roth proposed imposing the death penalty on Palestinian children allegedly involved in armed activity in the Gaza Strip.

In the meeting, which took place last Thursday, Roth stated that “the death penalty should be applied to teenagers carrying weapons or grenades.” However, he did not provide any evidence or proof to support his claims regarding the presence of armed children in Gaza.

According to a report published by the British website Middle East Eye, the video was recorded two days after Israel violated the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip at dawn on March 18. The attack resulted in the deaths of more than 500 Palestinians, including approximately 200 children.

The ambassador went on to express his disdain for the international community’s concerns about civilian casualties, saying, “If you believe there are no people who are not involved in Gaza… then you are accusing Israel of deliberately targeting children, and this is an untrue claim.”

According to a report issued by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Israeli occupation forces have killed more than 14,500 children in Gaza since their aggression began on October 7, 2023, without this statistic including children’s victims since the last ceasefire was violated.

In the same recording, Roth questioned whether it made sense for Europe to invest in the reconstruction of Gaza, saying sarcastically: “The Strip will be destroyed again… Will Europe lose its mind and invest its money there again? Next time, we’ll have to destroy it again.”

The website quoted the activist who leaked the recording—who remained anonymous—as saying: “I was disgusted by Mr. Roth’s calm voice when he made these remarks. No one in the room objected when he suggested executing children.”

YPA