Member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hanan Ashrawi, said in a statement on Friday that the Israeli hardline coalition government led by Benjamin Netanyahu is responsible for practicing blatant discrimination and generating a culture of hate and racism.
According to WAFA, Ashrawi was referring to recent hateful remarks made by top Israeli politicians which she described as inflammatory and inciting of hate against Arabs and Palestinians.
“Such acts and words are undermining the chances of peace and enhancing hostility and mistrust between both peoples,” she said in a report that includes examples of inflammatory comments by Israeli government officials and leaders.
Following are examples of these statements:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
“There won’t be any more uprooting or halting settlements – just the opposite: The Land of Israel is ours, and will remain ours.” (January 28, 2019)
“…We’ve returned to the homeland, to Netiv Ha’avot (i.e. the route of our ancestors in Hebrew). Abraham, Isaac and Jacob passed by here. We’ve been here for 3,000 years [sic].”
Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud Party):
“We must accelerate the pace of [settlement] construction in Samaria and Judea [occupied West Bank], first and foremost to ensure our natural right to our land and to prevent the catastrophe, and what I defined in the past as the suicide of the State of Israel, and that would be: The establishment of a Palestinian terror state in this place.” (January 16, 2019)
“Security brings more residents here, construction brings more residents here, and large-scale construction in Judea and Samaria [occupied West Bank] and in this entire area is also a brake on the establishment of a Palestinian terror state in this area.” (January 16, 2019)
“One of the first steps of the 21st Knesset must be the application of Israeli sovereignty over Jewish areas in Judea and Samaria [occupied West Bank].” (January 16, 2019)
Economy Minister Eli Cohen (Kulanu Party):
“We need to be the ones who make facts on the ground – with the annexation and application of sovereignty over Area C [occupied West Bank].” (January 9, 2019)
Strategic Affairs and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud Party):
“The extension of the closure of these Palestinian institutions is a message to the Palestinian Authority and the residents of eastern Jerusalem that the State of Israel does not intend to relinquish in any way its sovereignty over eastern Jerusalem and will not allow any foothold in it.” (January 31, 2019)
“I will continue to strengthen sovereignty and Israeli governance throughout Jerusalem, and I will prevent any Palestinian attempt to establish a foothold in the eastern part of the city.” (January 31, 2019)
“Maybe we should go as far as to consider one of the next times [Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas] Abu Mazen leaves not to allow him to come back, because today he makes no contribution to the diplomatic process.” (January 13, 2019)
“We will not be deterred by threats and hunger strikes. Making the terrorists’ [Palestinian political prisoners] conditions worse is necessary both to create deterrence and to fulfill our moral duty to terror victims and their families.” (January 2, 2019)
Immigration Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud Party):
“I came here to tell the Israeli public, and especially the residents of Judea and Samaria [occupied West Bank], that we have a historical right and a security need to maintain full control of this area.” (January 23, 2019)
“Settlement is the key to holding onto sovereignty and Zionism. The area of Judea and Samaria [occupied West Bank] is the eastern defense belt of the State of Israel.” (January 23, 2019)
“I am clearly saying no, to a Palestinian state. It is not possible to have more than one state west of the Jordan River.” (January 13, 2019)
“We will work to apply sovereignty in all of Judea and Samaria [occupied West Bank] and to strengthen the settlements.” (January 13, 2019)
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud Party):
“I think we have a great mission in the next Knesset: Declaring sovereignty over the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samara (occupied West Bank). Only a few years back, anyone talking about this would have been considered delusional. In recent years we’ve turned it into what they call in English ‘mainstream,’ the central discourse in Israeli society, and I hope that after the Likud Center has adopted such a decision, we’ll be able to implement it in the next Knesset.” (January 21, 2019)
Knesset Member Avigdor Liberman (Israel Our Home Party):
“Israel needs to go back to targeted assassinations… If everybody knows that a confrontation is imminent, why wait until we suffer Israeli losses? Create a preemptive attack, go back to targeted assassinations.” (January 23, 2019)
“It’s good that a senior representative of the fifth column [Palestinian Knesset Member Haneen Zoabi] is leaving the Knesset. I wish her all success in Gaza or Beirut.” (January 6, 2019).
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