Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Palestinian citizens of Israel on Saturday of spreading violence in the country and attacking Jewish residents.
“What is happening here is the most dangerous thing,” claimed Netanyahu. “A large group of Arabs who violate the law, attack the Jews. They set fire to synagogues, destroy Jewish stores [and] destroy Jewish property.”
He added that the internal Security Agency, Shin Bet, as well as the police will investigate “terrorist” attacks perpetrated by Palestinian citizens against Jews in the country.
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Adalah, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, rejected Netanyahu’s claims. The prime minister was turning an accusatory finger at the Palestinian citizens of Israel at a time when “armed, racist Jewish militia groups are marching through the streets attacking Palestinians,” the group said.
“The Israeli prime minister continues to emphasise that Israeli police, employing brutal violence against Palestinian citizens, will receive full political backing for their actions,” it added. “Netanyahu is once again demonstrating that the rule of law has no value as far as Palestinians are concerned, whether they live in Israel, in the West Bank, in East Jerusalem or in the Gaza Strip.
“The recent killing of Palestinian civilians – including [58] children – in their homes in Gaza, has now been added to the list of war crimes that must be investigated by the International Criminal Court. Netanyahu has insisted, by virtue of tonight’s statement, that he most certainly must be one of the ICC’s primary suspects.”