Arab Joint List's Odeh: Netanyahu trying to set off civil war

"The more Jews and Arabs hate each other—the more he earns," the parliamentarian said. "His only hope is our despair."

AYMAN ODEH, leader of the Joint List – he holds a key to the castle, one that only Benny Gantz could use (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
AYMAN ODEH, leader of the Joint List – he holds a key to the castle, one that only Benny Gantz could use
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
Head of the Arab Joint List Ayman Odeh said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "attempting to set off a civil war," following a right-wing rally at which the prime minister spoke on Sunday.
At an "emergency" pro-Likud rally, Netanyahu said that a government with the Joint List would be an "existential threat to the State of Israel." 
"Netanyahu's speech was not the beginning of a campaign," he wrote on Twitter. "It was an attempt to spark a civil war. There has never been a prime minister that earned so much from division, hatred and racism."
"The more Jews and Arabs hate each other—the more he earns," the parliamentarian said. "His only hope is our despair."
Netanyahu also said people would "celebrate in Tehran, Gaza and Ramallah, like they do after any other terrorist attack."
Odeh said that, "We will not let him light the flames of hatred. This time we will take him off the balcony [referring to Netanyahu's speech at an anti-Rabin rally in 1995] before it is too late."
"The civil war, named after Benjamin Netanyahu, will not break out."

Odeh called upon the Arab public, saying, "We will not lower our heads! We will stand firm and united in the face of these attacks."
"There never was and will never be a prime minister that could bend our people," he said. "We have so many achievements to take pride in, and we will reach the heights we can only imagine."

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"I appeal to you, the Jewish public," Odeh said. "Anyone like you knows the danger of charismatic leaders riding on murky waves of hate and racism. Anyone like you knows what it's like to be a persecuted minority."
"This is our opportunity, Arabs and Jews, to show him that his time has passed and that incitement will not pass."
"The time has come for courage," he said. "Let's show him how strong we are together."