Netanyahu acknowledges Israeli "racism" and "hooliganism"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticised the management of Superland Amusement Park for refusing to allow Arab students to enter on the same day as Jews. He described the move as “racist”; at the same time he acknowledged the “hooliganism” taking place against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

According to a report on Israel Radio, Netanyahu made his comments at the beginning of his weekly cabinet meeting. Speaking about “price tag” attacks by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and Arab areas of Israel, the prime minister attributed such “hooliganism” to his country’s far-right movement.

Although Israel is distancing itself from events in neighbouring countries, he stressed that his government will continue to work on warding off threats while “the Middle East is going through an especially sensitive period of shocks and upheavals”.

“While we have no interest in being party to the conflicts around us,” he added, “we are acting and we are committed to prevent dangers to Israel’s security. We have a clear policy of responding to attempted attacks against our territory.”