Livni calls for dealing with anti-Arab settlers as 'terrorists'

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni called on Sunday for classifying attacks by Jewish settlers against Palestinians as “terrorist acts,” Israeli army radio reported.

“We must recognise that there are terrorists who want to spread hatred in the Israeli society,” Livni said. She said that she would hold a meeting with minister of the Israeli home front, intelligence, police and judiciary to discuss this issue this week.

In its annual report on terrorism, the US Department of State denounced the Israeli attacks against Palestinians, especially in the West Bank.

Former head of Israeli intelligence Carmi Gillon has also criticised the refusal of the Israeli security forces to deal with “small Jewish groups as terrorist groups.”

“We do not see results because we do not have the intention to,” Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post quoted Gillon. “There is no such thing as cannot [for security services] – there is do not want to,” he added.

He continued: “If the head of the Shin Bet decides to deal with a certain issue, there will be results.”

Israeli police said on Sunday that hundreds of Jewish settlers from Yitzhar settlement in the north of occupied West Bank had attacked police officers who were investigating claims of attacks against Arabs.

A police spokesperson told AFP that settlers hurled stones at the officers. She noted that the police officers went to arrest a couple accused of carrying out anti-Muslim attacks in a mosque in the south of Israel.

Attacks by Israeli settlers bearing the name ‘price tag’ have recently increased. The settlers attack properties of Arab residents in the occupied West Bank and Israel, including mosques, homes, churches, cemeteries and cars.