Fatah convention in Bethlehem
Fatah convention in BethlehemIsrael news photo: Flash 90

Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi (Ra'am Ta'al), a veteran at pushing the envelope of anti-Israeli incitement, kicked his rhetoric up a notch higher at the Fatah convention in Bethlehem Tuesday.

Speaking of Arabs like himself who have Israeli citizenship, Tibi said: “We are an inseparable part of the Palestinian people, we are the original residents of the place and we will never leave it. We are the owners of these lands and we are not guests… Let he who arrived last leave first.”

Israel, he said must not only freeze the settlements in Judea and Samaria but dismantle them. There will be no peace “as long as there are settlers,” he said. “The land must be clean of settlers,” he then proclaimed, "because the settlements are a cancerous growth on the body of the Palestinians." He received loud applause as he added: “Get out of the Palestinian lands, get out of our souls!”

'Tibi the screamer and Bibi the freezer'

MK Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh) of the National Union said in response that “Tibi the screamer and Bibi the freezer will not get what they want. The eternity of Israel shall not lie. The Nation of Israel shall continue to make Aliyah to the land of its forefathers where it will be fruitful and multiply and inherit all of its expanses.”

The grassroots Residents’ Councils of Shomron and Binyamin reacted to Tibi’s speech by calling him “a terrorist in a suit and tie who supports and encourages murder of Jews.” They added that “the person who was an advisor to arch-murderer Arafat should sit in Ketziot Jail or be expelled to Gaza. Like his friend [former MK] Azmi Bishara, his citizenship should be revoked as soon as possible.”

The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel asked the Attorney General to launch an investigation against Tibi for uttering the phrase “clean of settlers.” Forum chairman Nachi Eyal contended that the phrase “clean of settlers” can only mean “clean of Jews” and bears a “Nazi connotation.”

Yesha Council Chairman Danny Dayan thanked Tibi for his speech. “He made my day,” Dayan stated. “It was a pleasure to see how much our presence in Judea and Samaria angers this hater of Israel,” Dayan added. “We will continue to grow and become stronger and I hope Tibi will provide us with more performances like this one.”

MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) asked Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and Knesset Legal Advisor Nurit Elstein to consider freezing the salaries of the Arab MKs who participate in the Fatah convention. “He who scorns the country is unworthy of receiving a salary from the Israeli Knesset and it would be good if they asked for their salary from the Palestinian Parliament,” he explained.