The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) “foreign ministry” on Wednesday expressed support for Public Security Minister Omer Barlev’s statement on “settler violence”.
In a statement quoted by the Walla! Hebrew language news website, the PA called Barlev’s statement an unprecedented “official recognition” of the violence of “settlers” against Palestinian Arabs.
"A step in the right direction and first official recognition by Israel of crimes committed by Jewish gangs against Palestinians, but it is not enough," said the PA statement.
"We call on the centrist and left-wing ministers in the government to end their silence and declare that they condemn and oppose settler terrorism and attacks on Palestinians, which will help create trust-building measures between Palestinians and Israelis and help create a suitable atmosphere for resolving the conflict," it added.
Barlev came under fire on Monday over the comments, which he made following a meeting with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland.
Commenting on the meeting on his Twitter account, Barlev said that the US official was "interested, among other things, in the settler violence and how to reduce tensions in the region and strengthen the Palestinian Authority."
Barlev wrote, "I told her that increasing the work permits for Palestinians in Israel, both from Judea and Samaria and Gaza, which we are already carrying out, is a key to reducing tensions, just like implementing the plan to establish a joint industrial zone on the outskirts of Gaza and more. American assistance for such projects can help a lot."
The remarks were heavily criticized by politicians from the right, including both members of the opposition as well as members of the coalition such as Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked.
Responding on Tuesday to the criticism of his remarks, Barlev tweeted, "I understand that it is really difficult for some of you when a mirror is placed in front of your face about the fact that extremist settler violence crosses the entire world and foreign governments are interested in the issue. I recommend that those who have a hard time with it drink a glass of water. I will continue to fight Palestinian terrorism as if there is no extremist settler violence - and fight extremist settler violence as if there is no Palestinian terrorism."
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted following Barlev’s comments, "The residents of Judea and Samaria have been suffering from violence and terrorism, every day, for decades. They are the defensive wall of us all and we must strengthen them and support them, in words and deeds."
He added, "There are marginal phenomena in every public, they should be dealt with by all means, but we must not generalize an entire public."
Bennett later picked up the phone and held a clarification conversation with Barlev, in which he told him that "it is not right to generalize entire sectors in an offensive manner." The conversation was held in a good atmosphere and ended with understandings.