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Israel activist calls for 'weapons to protect Palestinians' from settler violence

November 23, 2021 at 10:38 am

Tens of fanatic settlers accompanied by Israeli police are seen at the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque, in Jerusalem on August 25, 2021 [JERUSALEM ISLAMIC WAQF/Anadolu Agency]

Left-wing Jewish Israeli activist, Haim Shadmi, asked the Knesset on Sunday to allow him to bear arms to protect Palestinians from Jewish settler violence which they experience on a daily basis, the Jerusalem Post reported.

During the Knesset conference “Stop Settler Violence”, Shadmi was reported saying: “Give us the authority to bear arms,” while going on to call on the Knesset to allow activists to create a civilian guard to protect Palestinians from settlers.

“We will do the work for the Palestinians, we will not harm anyone. If you are not capable of doing the work, we will protect human life, because you do not know how to do it,” he said.

Meanwhile, he criticised the conference itself for just talking, not taking any practical measures on the ground to protect Palestinians from the daily settler aggression.

READ: Settler violence is a ‘major informal tool’ Israel uses to drive Palestinians out of their land, B’Tselem says

“I don’t know what is happening here, there is a debate as if the ‘occupation’ and ‘settler violence’ just started in the last few years,” Shadmi said.

“I hear here, one MK after the other… what is this, a conference that is all talk. Where are the solutions?” he asked.

The Jerusalem Post reported Religious Zionist Party MK Itamar Ben-Gvir saying:  “Why talk about violence and not mention the murder that occurred yesterday? There is no mention of violence against settlers, soldiers, police officers.”

Ben-Gvir was referring to the shootout in Jerusalem where a Palestinian teacher and Israeli soldier were killed, and four Israelis were wounded.