Deputy Minister Ofir Akunis
Deputy Minister Ofir AkunisFlash 90

Deputy Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) fired heavy criticism at IDF Radio Monday night, accusing the network of featuring frequent interviews with Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiator Saeb Erekat.

"I hear Saeb Erekat on IDF Radio all the time - and every time I hear him on IDF Radio, he says that Hamas is 'not a terror organization," Akunis lamented, in the Knesset plenum. He added sarcastically: "They only send 10,000 rockets on the heads of the children of Sderot, Netivot, Rishon Lezion, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Tel Aviv and Gush Etzion, and fire rockets at Jerusalem."  

Akunis also thoroughly rejected the argument that "settlement building" in Judea and Samaria torpedoed peace talks with the PA.

"This distorts reality, and is one of the biggest lies of the Israeli-Arab conflict in the past 100 years," he stated. "Were there 'settlements' in place before 1967? There was no peace until 1967 - not because 'settlements' were the obstacle to peace but because the Palestinians [themselves] were the obstacle to peace."

Akunis also slammed remarks from MK Ibrahim Tzartzur (United Arab List), who said that without the US, "Israel could evaporate."

"This is chutzpah," Akunis stated. "You are speaking in front of the Israeli Parliament, which is a symbol of Israel's sovereignty and return to the Jewish national homeland, despite 4,000 years of tragedy [for the Jewish people], despite the many occupations [of our land], despite the many who have tried to prevent the Jewish people from returning home."

"This lie that you [Palestinians] were here before us, we will slowly dismantle, little by little," he continued. "We are not afraid of lies, we are not afraid of your incitement against us. Saying that 'you were here before us' - what an abominable lie, a disgusting lie."

"Tomorrow I will be in Hevron, the first capital of the Jewish nation, before Jerusalem was established," Akunis added. "Were you here then? Were you around when King David declared Jewish sovereignty in Hevron?"