An emergency meeting was held in the Knesset this morning (Wednesday) initiated by Knesset Members Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) and Shlomo Karhi (Likud) under the title "Violence, Incitement and Protection of Arabs against Jews in the Negev, the Galilee, Jerusalem and the Mixed Cities."
At the beginning of the debate, MK Shlomo Karhi criticized the Speaker of the Knesset for not allowing the emergency conference initially.
Karhi noted that "the only answer to these riots, to the murder of the Jews by the Arabs - 'ours', is in their language and tongue: Nakba. Whoever incites against the State of Israel in mosques, anyone who acts violently against Jews out of nationalist motives and against the State of Israel should be punished severely and denied citizenship."
MK Bezalel Smotrich noted that representatives of the police and the State Attorney's Office were also invited to the hearing - but they chose not to come.
In his words, "The escalation of violence by Israeli Arabs in recent months against Jews in quantity and quality throughout the country can no longer be ignored. The roots of this violence are nationalistic and attempts to obscure it and look for other reasons are dangerous and will not eradicate terrorism and violence."
"Israeli Arabs are living in duality, they are citizens on the one hand and have an enemy national identity on the other. This reality is a democratic challenge and dealing with it lies on the level of recognition of reality," Smotrich added.
He noted that "Unfortunately this government, which relies on supporters of anti-Zionist terrorism in the Islamic Movement, is blurring the lines of violence and terrorism and is sweeping these acts under the rug."
MK Mossi Raz of Meretz who attended the debate said, “The stance against violence must be clear. Violence must not be used against either the Palestinian minority or anyone else. Things were said here that should not have been said. Why is the Palestinian Arab minority called a fifth corps or an enemy from within? I have met bereaved families on both sides and should not be generalized. The vast majority are non-violent. It is impossible to say about the government that it relies on supporters of terrorism. "
Smotrich replied: " i envy you your fantasy. In the end your stories and fantasies explode like the buses do on Israeli citizens."
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Shelly Tobol, a behavioral science student at Tzfat (Safed) College and a member of the Im Tirzu movement, testified on the threats and harassment she experienced during the past year at Tzfat College. '' During Operation Guardian of the Walls, an Arab classmate began uploading antisemitic posts. After I asked her why she was uploading these posts, she sent Palestinian flags to the group of students. She started harassing me, posting my Instagram account on the net with an explicit threat: "Your region, we will win with the help of Allah." In addition, she posted my phone number which drew explicit threats on my life. The administration did not address the issue, but preferred to present the issue as a conflict between students. Today I am afraid to go to college, I study from a distance. I'm afraid to walk around college. I'm afraid for my life. "