Israeli Official Incitement: April 2021

Israeli Official Incitement: April 2021

The month of April witnessed a fierce incitement wave led by Israeli officials, including members of the Knesset, right-wing Zionist parties, and settlers' organizations against the people of Palestine, particularly in Jerusalem, who continue facing a ferocious campaign of racism and hate speech for exercising their right to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan in their own city.

While the 24th Knesset (Parliament) was sworn in on 6 April 2021 and negotiations started between the parties to form the government, leaders of right-wing Zionist parties were inciting against the Palestinian citizens of Israel demanding their exclusion from the formation of the new Israeli government.

I. Against Palestinians in Jerusalem

Itamar Ben Gvir – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 17 April)

“Good week. I ask my friend, Minister Ohana1, whose work I have praised many times, to set up a unit to deal with these terrorists2– turning Jerusalem into the wild west.”

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Itamar Ben Gvir – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 13 April)

“This week, the Grand Mufti3 of Jerusalem declared it was forbidden to sell houses to Jews(…)I asked the Attorney General to take a break from Netanyahu's court proceedings and to demand the police to summon the Mufti for questioning and to prosecute him.”

Simcha Rotman – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Twitter, 18 April)

“I came to support the population of Jerusalem4 who are being attacked for no reason other than being Jewish. I have received encouraging updates regarding the readiness of the police, but also worrying messages about the judiciary releasing detainees quite easily. Reason number 24593 why we need a right-wing government.”

Michal Woldiger – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Twitter, 18 April)

“Arab terrorism continues to rear its head (…)”

Miri Regev - Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, Member of the Knesset for the Likud Party (Facebook, 24 April)

“I ask for support for the residents of the periphery5, who are going through an uneasy weekend, even right now. Hamas knows all too well that we can and will respond more forcefully to every attack on Israeli citizens. To the police and security who are preparing this evening to impose law and order in Jerusalem – we are all with you in this important security mission. The enemies6 of Israel put before us security challenges in different fields and, God willing, with unity and faith, we will overcome them. Good week and good news.”

Nir Barkat – Member of the Knesset for the Likud party (Facebook, 24 April)

“Jews cannot be subjected to cruel violence on the streets of Jerusalem just because they are Jewish. I support the security forces and the police and demand that they use an iron fist against the lawbreakers7 and allow the residents of Jerusalem8 to roam safely in the city, the capital of the state of Israel. We cannot let violence prevail!”

Ofir Akunis - Minister of Regional Cooperation, Member of the Knesset for the Likud party (Facebook, 24 April)

“On Saturday evening we were reminded that there is no place for internal battles.

Before terrorism9 rear its head again:

We need an iron fist and a relentless attack.

In Jerusalem when facing rioters10 who fearlessly attack Jews, and when facing the organization11 who is demanding the annihilation of Israel. We strengthen and support our forces on all fronts in their daily war against escalating Palestinian violence (...)”

Bezalel Smotrich – Member of Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 19 April)

“We cannot accept the Arab violence that rears its head in the major cities12 of the state of Israel. This evening we came to Damascus Gate13 to observe the police preparing to defend Jews on their way to the Western Wall and the Old city. We stand by the Israeli police, but we are not content with what has been done so far. We need zero patience, an iron fist and punishment of the attackers.”

Itamar Ben Gvir – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 24 April)

“This terrorist14 must be kicked out of here. Withdraw her residency, and after she spends a few years in jail, exile her from the country. I approached the commander of the Jerusalem District Police, requesting her immediate arrest.”

Itamar Ben Gvir – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 23 April)

“Instead of condoning terrorism15 that is rampant across the country, we should punish them severely.

We are going to change the legislation, we are going to raise the minimum prison sentence, and we are going to kick out anyone who wants to exterminate us.”

Yoav Ben-Tzur – Member of the Knesset for Shas party (Twitter, 24 April)

“The streets of Jerusalem turned into jungles where bloodthirsty bastards16 beat innocent Jewish citizens.

Jewish blood is being poured onto the streets of Jerusalem.

The security forces must work with an iron fist and without patience against the hooligans.”

 

Bezalel Smotrich – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism party (Facebook, 26 April)

“(…) While all kinds of confused Jews tell themselves stories, our enemies17 tell the truth openly. Identifying with Hamas, threatening with an Intifada, and pledging that there will be no peace until they rule this country, and the Jews all leave. All of this happened in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, in public, with no deterrence and one hundred percent audacity and impudence to hit the police and act violently, and then posting it on TikTok proudly. Oh, and they receive National Insurance from us and hypocritically enjoy all the good that the State of Israel has to offer.

At the same time, we have foolish judges who say there is no evidence that these are nationalist events and they release the terrorists, lost politicians who accuse the Jews of the outbreak of violence, a Prime Minister who calls for calming the situation "on both sides", and police succumbing to violence and is trying to achieve artificial calm. This is all going to blow up in our faces very soon. In a normal country that wants to live, these terrorists would all be put on buses tonight and deported from here to one of the Arab countries, the police would impose a curfew and cut off this terrorism with a heavy hand, and the leadership would resolutely cut off the enemy’s hope of eliminating us. You fight and win against your enemies. You do not talk, you do not "calm the situation", and you do not give up.

We must not despair. I promise to do everything to form a right-wing government, and within it be a clear and distinct voice of national dignity, of belief in the righteousness of our path, of value and ideological clarity, and of a hard hand and zero patience for the uprising of the Arab enemy. We will fix the systems of law and order, we will restore faith in the righteousness of the way, and god willing, we will win.”

II. Against Palestinian Prisoners, Martyrs and their Families

Avi Dichter – Member of the Knesset for the Likud party (Facebook, 06 April)

“(…) I pledge allegiance today to the 24th Knesset, and immediately put on the parliament table a proposal for a law I had promoted during the previous parliamentary session: "revoking the citizenship of an Israeli terrorist who received compensation for a terrorist act18 (…).The proposed bill will correct the dubious shame and would revoke the citizenship of such a terrorist19, who received compensation from the Palestinian Authority and prevents him from residing in Israel permanently (...)”

Miri Regev - Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, Member of the Knesset for the Likud party (Facebook, 04 April) 

“I also joined the moral and just demand to revoke the citizenship of the vile terrorist Rushdi Abu Mukh20 (…) In collaboration with his comrades in the cell led by the terrorist Walid Daqa21. Daqa is a member of Balad22. Yes, the same Balad that is a part of the Joint List. Members of the cells had help from their friends in Balad, after a search of their prison cells found cell phones, which were smuggled in by MK Basel Ghattas23 from Balad.

During my years as Minister of Culture and Sports, I fought the Midan Theatre24 from venerating the members of the cell using public funds. I'm proud of my success in this task.

This terrorist and his fellow vile comrades should remain in prison until their last day instead of being released and welcomed as kings in their towns (...)”

Bezalel Smotrich – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 06 April)

“I have now asked the Ministers of Defense and Public Security to immediately set up a committee to examine the failure, which allowed an inciting and terrorism support parade to occur in the broad daylight in Baqa al-Gharbiyeh25(...)”

Orit Strock – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 14 April) 

“On this day of remembrance, we – MK Avi Dichter26 and I – managed to unite the majority of parties in the Knesset on a bill that will do justice to those affected by terrorism and holds terrorists27 and their leaders accountable.

The proposal states that every convicted Israeli terrorist28 serving his sentence in Israeli prisons, who receives money from the Palestinian Authority in exchange for his actions, will lose his right to citizenship and residency and will be expelled to the Palestinian Authority  areas upon release(...)

This is the first step of a series of planned legislative actions that will return basic morality and national respect to the families29 affected by terrorism, as well as the entire state of Israel, against the terrorists who are working to kill us, and their supporters from the PA, in addition to the new code of conduct expected from the Arabs in Israel (…)”

III. Against the Indigenous Palestinian Citizens of Israel

Itamar Ben Gvir – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 08 April)

Ahmad Tibi30, who was Yasser Arafat's31 assistant, insulted 6 million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust. A person like that does not deserve to be in the Knesset of Israel.”

Itamar Ben Gvir – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 07 April)

“This morning I made an urgent appeal to Knesset chairman Yariv Levin32 to request an immediate withdrawal of all rights of members of the Joint List after they refused to pledge allegiance in accordance with the law. I demanded that orders be issued to the Knesset security to prevent the MK's from the Joint list, Odeh, Abu Shehadeh, Tuma-Sliman, and Ofer Cassif from entering the plenum and committees, as well as withholding their rights for an office, car, and a salary from the Knesset.”

 

Bezalel Smotrich –Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Twitter, 09 April)

“This morning, too, we need to remind and clarify: a government based on terrorist supporters33 will not be a "right-wing government" but a government filled with blood. It will not accomplish anything right-winged, it will lead to the downfall of the right and the rise of the left with the supporters of terrorism34, and it will turn the state of Israel into a hostage during every step, benefiting those35 who do not recognize the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state.”

 

Bezalel Smotrich - Mk for Religious Zionism Party (Twitter, 07 April)

“O Ahmed36, in God’s will I will be a Minister and that will never happen37 by relying on terrorism supporters and embracers such as yourself and your friends from the Southern Islamic movement party. You continue your childish provocations in the plenum and we will continue to build the state of Israel as the home of the Jewish people, for them and anyone who recognizes Israel as a Jewish state38”

Itamar Ben Gvir – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 02 April)

“Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett39 and Gideon Sa'ar40, I am addressing you41: The responsibility we have received from the people of Israel is to form a right-wing government. Enough with lies. Enough with the spins in order to form a government with Mansour Abbas42, the Hamas supporter. I suggest that Naftali Bennett and Gideon Sa'ar understand and comprehend that they cannot even imagine governments with Ayman Odeh43 or any other part of the Joint List”

Bezalel Smotrich – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 17 April)

“Last time there were those who followed the hypocritical sweet talk44 (remember how Arafat spoke of peace in English and war in Arabic?) And he brought us a disaster.

We will not allow the same dangerous mistake. We will not have a government relying on anti-Zionist terrorist supporters45!”

 

IV. Against President Abbas and the Palestinian Leadership 

Bezalel Smotrich – Member of the Knesset for Religious Zionism Party (Twitter, 09 April)

“In an area under Israel's sovereignty, there is active violent racism, and the Palestinian Authority implements its laws, which include death penalty to anyone46 who sells lands or houses to Jews. All those involved47 must sit behind bars, and the state of Israel must grant protection to sellers and implement its sovereignty in Jerusalem.”

Regavim organization48 (Twitter, 28 April)

“(…) The Palestinian Authority is constantly working to create a continuous Palestinian settlements stretch. They are not waiting for any inspector from the Administration to come and stop them. Consciously or not, the lack of action of law enforcement and the state of Israel is allowing the Palestinian Authority to promote territorial sequence in the Jordan Valley. When will we wake up?”

V. Additional Examples

Bezalel Smotrich – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism party (Twitter, 02 April)

“Shabat Shalom and happy holidays to all lovers and defenders of the Jewish state, and to those who reject the idea of a bi-national state. There was not and will not be recognition or the right to self-determination of a non-Jewish Nationality between the (Mediterranean) sea and the Jordan (river).”

Shlomo Karhi – Member of the Knesset for the Likud party (Facebook, 22 April)

“This morning I toured the settlement Amichai49 and the open areas surrounding it, with the participation of the Likud's "Zion and Jerusalem"50 forum, chaired by Avihai Boron.

Arab control51 through the Palestinian Authority over open areas around Judea and Samaria52 is vast and extremely dangerous. They are working systematically to establish an Arab extension and surround Jewish settlements. This is an existential threat to the state of Israel, both on the political and security levels, which will determine the future. 

The state of Israel should eliminate Palestinian control over the open areas of Judea and Samaria53 in areas C, B, and A(...)”

Itamar Ben Gvir – Member of the Knesset for the Religious Zionism Party (Facebook, 24 April)

“No one was hurt by enemy fire, but every moment where there is no decisive and strict response in the form of killing terrorists54 is a disgrace, and it touches the power of deterrence and makes the lives of the citizens of the south permissible.

The Prime Minister must order targeted killings and missile attacks against terrorists (...)”

Yoav Ben-Tzur – Member of the Knesset for Shas party (Twitter, 24 April)

“We will not accept a reality that disturbs the calm and launches missiles towards southern towns.

The residents of the south deserve to live a normal life in safety and peace.

If the people of the south are suffering and losing sleep, the people of Gaza will also suffer from the force of the IDF.”

• 1. Amir Ohana, an Israeli Minister of Public Security, MK Likud
• 2. In reference to the Palestinians of occupied Jerusalem
• 3. In reference to Sheikh Mohammad Hussein
• 4. In reference to Jewish settlers
• 5. In the periphery of Gaza
• 6. In reference to Palestinian people
• 7. In reference to the Palestinians of occupied Jerusalem
• 8. In reference to the Jewish settlers in the city
• 9. In reference to the Palestinian people
• 10. In reference to the Palestinians of occupied Jerusalem
• 11. In reference to Hamas Movement
• 12. Including occupied Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine
• 13. Bab Al-Amoud in Arabic, one of the main gates of Jerusalem’s Old City
• 14. In reference to the a Palestinian woman with a Jerusalem ID who appeared in the video tearing down the Israeli flag
• 15. In reference to the Palestinians of occupied Jerusalem
• 16. Ibid
• 17. In reference to the Palestinian people particularly the Palestinians of occupied Jerusalem
• 18. In reference to the Palestinian prisoners who are citizens of Israel and receive social allowances from the Palestinian National Authority
• 19. In reference to Palestinian freed prisoner Rushdi Abu Mukh who was released on 5 April from the Israeli jails after serving a sentence of 35 years. Abu Mukh is a citizen of Israel from Baqa al-Gharbiyeh town located in Haifa district
• 20. Ibid
• 21. Palestinian prisoner, a citizen of Israel from the city of Baqa al-Gharbiyeh who is serving 39 years sentence in Israeli jails
• 22. National Democratic alliance party which is party of the Joint List party
• 23. Former Palestinian MK who served 2 years in Israeli jails for allegedly smuggling cellphones to Palestinian prisoners
• 24. Palestinian theater founded in 1994 by Palestinian citizens of Israel in Haifa
• 25. In reference to the home celebration organized for the release of the Palestinian prisoner Rushdi Abu Mukh, a citizen of Israel from Baqa al-Gharbiyeh town
• 26. MK of the Likud party
• 27. In reference to the Palestinian prisoners and martyrs
• 28. In reference to Palestinians citizens of Israel
• 29. In reference to Jewish Israeli families
• 30. MK of the Joint List party. Itamar Ben Gvir is commenting on Al-Tibi’s last interview with Israeli TV Channel (KAN) in which he criticizes Gvir for speaking about humanity and againstracism and Nazis while at the same time is inciting and igniting hatred against Palestinians
• 31. In reference to the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
• 32. MK of the Likud party
• 33. In reference to the MKs of the Southern Islamic Movement (Ra’am) – United Arab List party
• 34. In reference to the Palestinian MKs of the Knesset from both parties, Southern Islamic Movement party (Ra’am) and the Joint List party.
• 35. In reference to the people of Palestine
• 36. In reference to MK Ahmad Tibi from the Joint List party
• 37. Forming a coalition government with the support of Palestinian MKs (Joint List party and Ra’am- United List party)
• 38. Bezalel tweeted as a reply to MK Ahmad Tibi from the Joint List party who referred to the potential formation of a coalition with the support of the Palestinian party Southern Islamic Movement (Ra’am)- United Arab List
• 39. MK and chairman of the Yemina party
• 40. MK and chairman of the New Hope party
• 41. MK Itamar Ben Gvir refers to Naftali Bennett and Gideon Sa’ar as Prime Minister since both have been working hard to fill this position
• 42. MK for the Southern Islamic Movement party(Ra’am)- United Arab List party
• 43. MK and chairman of the Joint List party
• 44. In reference to the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s speeches during Oslo negotiations
• 45. In reference to the Southern Islamic Movement (Ra’am )- United Arab List party
• 46. In reference to Palestinians who facilitate the take over of Palestinian properties by Israeli settlers organizations
• 47. In reference to the Palestinians in Jerusalem who oppose the take over of Palestinian properties
• 48. A right-wing settler organization operating in the occupied West Bank
• 49. Amichai is an illegal Israeli settlement in the Shilo settlement bloc located in the occupied West Bank
• 50. A forum that has been formed within the Likud party, a year ago, in order to influence decision making process that supports the colonization of occupied Palestine
• 51. In reference to Palestinian constructions in the Oslo-defined Area C of the West Bank, an integral part of the State of Palestine, which Israel claims to be illegal
• 52. In reference to the occupied West Bank of the State of Palestine
• 53. Ibid
• 54. In reference to Hamas Movement