Meirav Ben-Ari made that statement on 16 October 2023, during a plenary session of the Israeli Knesset, in the early days of Israel’s assault on Gaza following 7 October.

She spoke after Palestinian MK Aida Touma-Sliman called attention to the deaths of Palestinian children and insisted that a child is a child, regardless of nationality. Ben-Ari responded: “There is no symmetry. […] And the children in Gaza — the children in Gaza have brought this upon themselves!”

Sources:

• Mondoweiss — Israeli politician: ‘The children of Gaza have brought this upon themselves’ (18 October 2023)
• Truthout — article republished on 18 October 2023