In Knesset, Leftist Israeli demands guns be used against Jews in Judea, Samaria

Betsalmo filed a police complaint against Haim Shadmi for incitement to violence.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Right-wing groups and MKs slammed Monday’s comments by an extreme leftist, who demanded guns from MKs to protect Palestinians from what he deemed “settler violence.”

Yesha Council head David Elhanai requested that the police detain for questioning activist Haim Shadmi for threats and incitement to murder after he spoke at a Knesset side session entitled “Stop Settler Violence.”

Shadmi had slammed the left-wing Knesset members who had convened the session for just talking but not doing anything concrete to stop what he called “the civilian arm of the occupation” that is allegedly harming innocent Palestinians.

“Please, give us permission to use weapons,” he demanded. “We’ll do the job for the Palestinians.”

When a murmur of protest greeted his words, he wagged a finger in the air and declared, “We won’t hurt anyone.”

He then immediately followed those words with a possibly contradictory statement, saying, “If you aren’t capable of doing the job, we will protect people’s lives.”

“A red line was crossed today,” Elhayani said. “A man was given the authority to incite terrorism in the Knesset against Jews. We call on Knesset members and ministers to condemn the incident and ensure that such conferences no longer receive a stage in the Knesset.”

Pro-Zionist NGO Betsalmo also filed a police complaint for incitement against Shadmi.

“The true face of the extreme Left has been revealed,” said CEO Shai Glick. “They speak of brotherhood, coexistence, and peace, but act with hatred. Had Shadmi been a rightist, he would have already been arrested.”

Shadmi’s words, he said, “are clear incitement to violence and danger to human life. There is no doubt that as long as there are weapons in Shadmi and his friends’ hands, there may be harm caused to the lives of the area’s Jewish and Arab residents. We have all learned that words can kill.”

The conference was chaired by MKs Mossi Raz (Meretz) and Ibtisam Mara’ana (Labor) of the coalition, and Osama Saadi (Joint List) from the Opposition. Extreme leftist groups Breaking the Silence, Yesh Din and Peace Now were also among the organizers.

During the session, when referring to Sunday’s murder of Eliyahu David Kay by a Palestinian terrorist, Raz said, “The amazing thing is that the same people who jumped yesterday and demanded condemnation from everything that moved have never thought to condemn violence by settlers.

“The army does nothing. The police do nothing, for all practical purposes it almost doesn’t exist,” he added, and even decried the media for not doing its job properly in covering the alleged acts.

Still, the organizers afterwards distanced themselves from Shadmi’s statements.

“The remarks made at the end of the conference by Haim Shadmi do not represent our stance in supporting a non-violent struggle and calling for ending the occupation peacefully,” they said.