Israeli Official Incitement: August 2019

Israeli Official Incitement: August 2019

This report highlights recent inciting statements by senior Israeli officials; including members of Israeli political parties and newly elected members of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset). It includes examples of official Israeli incitement against the Palestinian people, leadership, and President - as well as against the indigenous Palestinian citizens of Israel.

I. Palestinian Prisoners, Martyrs, and their Families

Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of Otzma Yehudit Party (Twitter, 16 August)

“It is time to restore deterrence: to immediately expel terrorists' families, to eliminate terrorists and to return to retribution operations back to the days of the 101unit. This is the only way to eliminate terror!”

Itamar Ben Gvir added in another Tweet on 16 August

“The reality that terrorists are staying in summer camps, celebrating every night holding luxurious parties at the expense of the Israeli taxpayers….is a weird reality that never happened elsewhere in the world.”

Naftali Bennett, former Minister of Education and the fourth candidate in the Yamina slate (a merge between Union of Right-Wing Parties and the New Right party) (Twitter, 8 August)

“…deterrence is not built by words, in such a day, the doors of hell must be opened for Hamas and its establishments. Today we must impose- yes today- the Israeli law in Gush Etzion through a decision by government…we should dismantle the organized groups in jail, every prisoner should be by himself."

In another Tweet on 8 August, Naftali Bennett added 

“There is no longer a ‘Hamas section’ and ‘PLO section’, there are only prisoners, and terrorists should stop receiving the monthly murder salary…”

Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister MK Likud (Twitter, 6 August)

“This evening report regarding the visits made Knesset members from the left parties to convicted terrorists who murdered Jews, reveals how distorted and dangerous the left is. Since 2016, by virtue of the Likud's policy and the Knesset decision that I led together with Minister Gilad Erden, we have stopped these visits. This is the real difference between a strong right and a weak left.”

Gilad Erdan, Minister of Internal Security, Minister of Strategic Affairs and Minister of Information MK Likud (Twitter, 6 August)

“Three years ago, I stopped despicable visits of terrorists and prevented Arab Knesset members from continuing to use their immunity to strengthen vile terrorists. Since then, no Arab MK has visited a terrorist in prison!...”

II. The Ongoing Israeli Assault on Gaza

Moshe Ya’alon MK Blue and White party in an interview with occupation ‘Army Radio’ (Twitter, 26 August)

“ …we must strike Hamas including targeted liquidations, this is how they will understand that they should not keep harassing us. Dismantling Hamas military power does not necessitate occupying Gaza.”

Benny Gantz MK leader of Blue and White party in an interview with Knesset Channel (Twitter, 24 August)

“ ..we will dismantle Hamas military power , we will use all available tools: air, sea and ground. Gaza will be completely calm, we must restore deterrence in the area.”

Rafael (Rafi) Peretz, Minister of Education MK United Right, the second candidate in the Yamina slate (a merge between Union of Right-Wing Parties and the New Right party) (Twitter, 1 August)

“…Hamas terrorists are the sons of death and so should be treated."

III. The Indigenous Palestinian Citizens of Israel

Ariel Kallner MK Likud (Twitter, 26 August)

“Let us annul the law which allows the dismissal of candidates and parties! The first thing I pledge to annul in the next Knesset is item 7 entailed in the Knesset Basic Law. Right now the Supreme Court as well as left wing organizations are using this item to only prevent the participation of right wing candidates while those supporting terror are being protected …”

Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Transportation and Road Safety,  MK United Right, the third candidate in the Yamina slate (a merge between Union of Right-Wing Parties and the New Right party), criticizing Israeli judicial system for not banning the Joint list’s participation in the upcoming Israeli elections (Twitter, 25 August)

“We have enemies who want to destroy us. There are Jews that I disagree with them in many issues , they come from the right place and want to fight our enemies but the Israeli Supreme Court choose to ban their participation [in elections]…..”

Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister MK Likud published a video as part of Likud electoral campaign in which he incites against Palestinian MK Ayman Odeh (Twitter, 22 August)

“Ayman Odeh announced that he will join Lapid-Gantz government. What does this mean? That the supporter of terror will sit in the left government, he salutes Barghouthi and Ahed Al-tamimi and supports martyrs, and refrain from condemning those killing soldiers, he considers members of the right wing government as murderers, he also says that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine…”

Gilad Erdan, Minister of Internal Security, Minister of Strategic Affairs and Minister of Information MK Likud inciting against Palestinian MK Ayman Odeh (Twitter, 22 August)

“It is now clear that whoever will vote for White and Blue party will probably get a left-wing government which includes a terror supporter. Ayman Odeh also make it clear that the price that Israel will pay will be: unrestrained illegal construction, annulment of nation-state law, additional dormitories for battered women, continuing to blame the police for violence in the Arab society…”

Itamar Ben Gvir leader of Otzma Yehudit party inciting against Palestinian MK Ahmad Al-Tibi (Twitter, 21 August)

“This is not ethnic cleansing but the dismissal of terrorists! You don't have to be in the Knesset, but in prison!”

IV. President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Leadership 

Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, MK United Right, the third candidate in the Yamina slate (a merge between Union of Right-Wing Parties and the New Right party) in an Interview with Israeli Channel 13 (Twitter, 23 August)

“The Palestinian Authority is the largest sponsor of terror in the State of Israel. Barriers must be positioned in Judea and Samaria [Occupied West Bank] roads, making sure that no terrorist would leave the house with weapons, or move freely in the streets and carry out the attack and then return home safely."

Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, MK United Right, the third candidate in the Yamina slate (a merge between Union of Right-Wing Parties and the New Right party) (Twitter, 4 August)

“Arafat is a terrorist and a mass murderer with Jewish blood on his hands. The fact that such a murderer becomes a national leader says a lot about your nationalism and its murderous and anti-Semitic characteristic. Identifying a 'moderate leader' like you explains why exactly there is no chance for reaching peace with you that is not based on submission.”

V. Additional Examples  

Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister MK Likud (Twitter, 11 August)

“On Thursday, after consultations with all security apparatuses, I made a decision: This year, too, as every year, Jews will enter to the Temple Mount on the 9th of August, even if it falls on a Muslim holiday. The question was not whether they will enter or not, but how to best manage it for the safety of the people and so we did.”

Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Transportation and Road Safety,  MK United Right, third candidate in the Yamina slate (a merge between Union of Right-Wing Parties and the New Right party) (Twitter, 11 August)
 

“When you leave it to terror, deterrence erodes and terror gets motivated and intensified. I urge the Prime Minister to order the security forces to immediately evacuate the Temple Mount from the rioters by force, to instruct for its closure to the Arabs for the next three days of holidays. They must learn that there is a cost to terrorism and violence. And off course, to open it immediately for the Jews after evacuating it from the terrorists.”

Rafael (Rafi) Peretz, Minister of Education MK United Right (Twitter, 11 August)

“The entry of terrorists, inciters, distributing Palestinian propaganda material, encouraging terrorists under the guise of prayer erodes our sovereignty. Surrendering inspires our enemy elsewhere and will cause further damage. At this time, I support the Israeli police as they work with an iron fist against the rioters on the Temple Mount. This must end.” 

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister MK Likud (Twitter, 8 August)

“… I laid today the cornerstone for the construction of an additional 650 homes in Beit El. The criminal terrorists come to uproot and destroy- we come to plant and build. We will catch all those who want to kills us and we will strengthen our roots in our homeland, in all areas.”

Ayalet Shaked, former Minister of Justice, first candidate in the Yamina slate (a merge between Union of Right-Wing Parties and the New Right party) (Army Radio, 11 August)

“The decision is wrong, when we surrender to terror, terror will chase us…closing the Temp Mount to Jews due to threats of violence means surrendering to violence, the political echelon must make a decision and not leave this issue to the police, the government must take a decision that that the Temple Mount is in our hand and under Israeli sovereignty…”

Naftali Bennett, former Minister of Education and forth candidate in the Yamina slate (a merge between Union of Right-Wing Parties and the New Right party) (Twitter, 8 August)

“We cannot guarantee that there will be no more attacks, but we must ensure that we respond to them in a completely different way. That half a million Israelis in Judea and Samaria [Occupied West Bank]  can say ‘We live in the sovereign state of Israel.’ And so the enemy will be finally in despair to wipe Israel off the map....”

Rabbi Eliezer Kashtiel, the head of Bnei David, a military religious college in the illegal settlement of Eli in the occupied West Bank while lecturing students on 4 August offered a justification of what he calls as Jewish supremacy and the enslavement of Palestinians under occupation

“Yes, we are racists, of course we are. There are races in the world and nations that have genetic attributes, and that requires us to try to help them. The fact that someone is your inferior is not a reason to deride him or eliminate him, but help him. Yes, there are differences between races and that’s precisely the reason who should offer aid…Arabs love slavery and living under occupation…If occupation means to humiliate you, to deride you, to taunt you, to eliminate you – than it is bad. But if occupation means I am successful, come to me, I am calling you to join a partnership, why are you alone, why are you apart from me, I want to occupy you, to merge you – then you’d be a part of a great success. You will benefit from being my slave. You live such miserable life. Come be my slave, see what life you’ll have, to what spiritual and ethical stage...”