Israel: Gantz calls for settler groups to be outlawed as ‘terrorists’

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz called on Monday for the government to examine the possibility of outlawing two extreme right-wing settler groups and placing them on the terrorist list. Gantz told a meeting of his Blue and White party that he knows that the issue of defining groups like La Familia and Lehava as terror groups is being presented to the security forces.

Supporters of the two groups were filmed chanting racist slurs against Palestinians during the Flag March held in occupied Jerusalem on Sunday. According to Israeli officials, though, the racist hate crimes witnessed at the weekend were carried out by a “small handful” of participants in the Flag March.

Nevertheless, participants included supporters of the Kach organisation, which is nominally outlawed in Israel, as well as La Familia and Lehava. All are known for committing so-called “price tag” crimes against the Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Supporters of these extremist organisations not only chanted racist slogans in Jerusalem, but also attacked Palestinian residents and homes in the Old City, wrote racist slogans on Palestinian shops, and attacked journalists, all while under the protection of Israeli police.

READ: Right-wing Israel MKs threaten to bring down gov’t if illegal settler outpost is dismantled