Netanyahu to Arab MKs: Stop fanning emotions and inciting violence
"Erez was an outstanding policeman, the son of a policeman, and he was murdered this morning in a ramming attack," Netanyahu stated.
By JPOST.COM STAFFUpdated: JANUARY 18, 2017 17:11Benjamin Netanyahu(photo credit: REUTERS)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the family of the anti-terror unit police officer, Erez Levy, who was killed in a suspected ramming attack Wednesday in the unrecognized Beduin village of Umm al-Hiran."Erez was an outstanding policeman, the son of a policeman, and he was murdered this morning in a ramming attack."Netanyahu remarked that this was the second such attack in the past few days and that Israel is fighting a "murderous phenomenon" which has struck Israel and the world, referring to the recent spike in global terror attacks, especially ramming attacks."I ask everyone, especially members of the Knesset, to be responsible, to stop fanning emotions and inciting toward violence.""The Beduin public is part of us; we want to integrate it into Israeli society and not radicalize it and push it away from the center of our life experience."Meanwhile Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan accused Israeli-Arab Knesset members who participated in the protests of causing the police officer’s death. “I wish to say – especially now – to Ayman Odeh and to the rest of the Joint List that came [to Umm al-Hiran] this morning to enflame the situation: His blood is on your hands.”"This is a severe statement, I know. But it is not severe as your acts today. You are a disgrace for the State of Israel."