A female protester was filmed hitting government minister Avi Dichter on the head with an Israeli flag on Thursday, as Dichter left a meeting at Airport City. She has since been arrested.
Responding to the attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "I vehemently condemn the attack on Minister Avi Dichter by a left-wing activist and demand that the leaders of the opposition immediately stop the anarchy, violence, and incitement against elected officials. I demand that the police and the prosecutor's office take immediate and firm action against anyone who lays a hand on elected officials -- before it's too late."
Minister Ophir Akunis (Likud) added, "I warned over a month ago that this could end with political murder. It's closer than ever before. The silence of the leaders of the opposition and the left-wing is dangerous; it gives a green light to the violence of left-wing protesters to plunge Israel into anarchy."
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana echoed his sentiments, saying, "I expect all elected officials, wherever they may be, to condemn this incident and calm things down -- for the sake of the entire country."
MK Michal Waldiger (Religious Zionism) added, "I am shocked by the violence against Minister Dichter. Anyone who used our flag to harm a person, especially someone who dedicated his life to protecting the country and its symbols, should be punished to the full extent of the law. How many more warning signs do we need before disaster strikes?"