Israel’s Prime Minister calls for tougher stand on terror and incitement against Israel, as tension rises in Jerusalem & Kafr Kanna
• Labor MK Moshe Mizrahi: I am calling on the Arab Knesset Members to “avoid adding fuel to the fire.”

By Shlomo Cesana, Mati Tuchfeld & Edna Adato

Following the police shooting in Kafr Kanna on Friday and the ensuing riots, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a tough stance on Israelis calling for the destruction of the state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – Photo: Edi Israel

“Israel is a country of law and order. We will not tolerate disturbances and riots. We will act against stone throwers and those who block roads and call for the establishment of a Palestinian state in place of Israel,” the prime minister’s statement said.

“I will instruct the Interior Minister to examine the option of revoking the citizenship of those calling for the destruction of Israel.”

The statement accompanies a set of tough rules established to keep rioters in line, including the demolition of terrorists’ homes and outlawing an extremist Islamic women’s group.

Meanwhile, Habayit Hayehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett defended the police in the Kafr Kanna incident, saying, “An Arab terrorist wildly attacked a police car with a knife, in an attempt to murder the [police officers].

“The police officers’ reaction was what is expected of our security personnel. Of course, we can and should always look into things, but this was not ‘cold-blooded murder,’ and we certainly should not repudiate our security forces personnel.”

On the other hand, Opposition Leader MK Isaac Herzog said, “We need to carry out a quick and exhaustive investigation. The video of the incident is very worrying. I am calling on the government to hold a dialogue with the Arab public before this turns into the October 2000 riots.”

MK Moshe Mizrahi (Labor) agreed with Herzog. “It was a very difficult incident with a tough fallout that impacted an already fragile reality,” he said. “The investigation must be carried out quickly. I am calling on the Arab members of Knesset to avoid adding fuel to the fire.”

Meanwhile, Habayit Hayehudi MK Yoni Chetboun felt that the police acted appropriately. “If someone tries to kill you, you must kill them first,” he said. “I support the security forces in neutralizing terrorists. Whoever wanted to believe that Muslim terror in Jerusalem is a municipal issue has been proven wrong. Islamic fundamentalism is a cross-border problem that we must put a stop to immediately and forcefully.”

Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein will be overseeing the police investigation into the incident.

View original Israel Hayom publication at: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=21317