Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister Binyamin NetanyahuHadas Parush/Flash 90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded Thursday to Ashkelon Mayor Itamar Shimoni's decision to temporarily freeze the employment of Arab Israeli construction workers building protected rooms in educational institutions in the city.

While doing so, he also called attention to his new draft of the Jewish State Law

"There is no place for discrimination against Israeli Arabs. We should not generalize an entire population because a small minority of it is violent and belligerent," Netanyahu stressed. 

He added that the vast majority of Israel's Arab citizens are law abiding, and the state acts only against those who firmly and resolutely violate the law. 

"As part of the proposed 'Jewish State Law' I am bringing before the Cabinet on Sunday, we will assure the complete equality of all citizens before the law, regardless of religion, race, and gender. This will go hand in hand with ensuring the identity of Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people," Netanyahu stated. 

"There is no contradiction between these two idea, and I will not allow any undermining of these two fundamental principles."

Minister of Economy, and Jewish Home Chairman Naftali Bennett issued a similar response in a speech Thursday morning. 

"We are going through a difficult time. There is a wave of attacks, and no one can guarantee that that wave is over...but you have to know 99.9% of Arab citizens are loyal to the State of Israel. It is only a very small majority acting out against." 

"In my job as Economy Minister, I will not permit harm against any employee on the basis of religion or race. Something like that will not happen in Israel," Bennett emphasized.