President Reuven Rivlin met today with mothers and sisters of four Israeli-Arabs murdered in recent months in criminal incidents. The mothers came to Beit Hanasi as part of the protest march against violence in Arab society that left Haifa for Jerusalem, and were joined by MKs Ayman Odeh and Osama Saadi.
“The state must protect its citizens, and the citizens must see the police as protecting them,” the president said, noting that “This is not an issue for Arab society alone – it is something that we must all tackle, and is the responsibility of us all.”
“We must join together and fight crime and illegal weapons wherever they are,” he said. “Arab society as a whole must engage – schools, colleges, workplaces. To say ‘no’ to violence , ‘no’ to lawlessness and ‘no’ to illegal weapons.”
“In the State of Israel, no citizen is more equal than any other. The State of Israel has an equal obligation to protect every citizen, and everyone has the right to live a secure life,” the president said. “I hear your voice as women, as mothers, and as leaders from the community. Your voice is important. It can make real change and save lives. Only by all sides working together – police, education, leadership and the grass-roots can we rise to this challenge.”