PLO Executive Committee
Department of Culture and Information
October 21, 2015
FACT SHEET: Samples of recent inflammatory comments and incitement by Israeli officials
PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi:
“The real incitement stems from Israel’s military occupation of Palestine and its enslavement of an entire nation. The Israeli hardline extremist government led by Benjamin Netanyahu is responsible for generating a culture of hate and racism in Israel, inciting violence and feeding extremism. Updated regularly, this fact sheet includes samples of recent derogatory and inflammatory comments and incitement by Israeli government officials specifically meant to distort reality and mislead public opinion.”
Education Minister and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett: “If there was one political outcome of the terror wave, it was the end of the “dream” of a Palestinian state. Terrorists do not deserve a state.”
“The only “wall” that will work is a clear one that the government builds to deter terrorists from undertaking attacks. This wall demands that incitement be ended, and that terrorists are shot dead before they have a chance to hurt innocent people. It means that a terrorist who is shot will be dead and never walk again. It means that Israel remains in control of its homeland forever, unmoved by terrorism.” (October 2015)
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely: “…Palestinian children have been taught to idolize the murder of Jews as a sacred value and to regard their own death in this “jihad” as the pinnacle of their aspirations.”
“Israeli society and Jewish tradition sanctify life. Palestinian society glorifies death. Israeli children grow up on songs of peace and the biblical vision of “nation shall not lift up sword against nation.” Palestinian children are taught to hate.” (October 2015)
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked: “We are against a Palestinian state. There is not and there will be no Palestinian state." (October 2015)
Chairman of the Yesh Atid Party Yair Lapid: “Don’t hesitate, even when an incident just starts, shooting to kill is the right thing to do.”
“The directives should specify shooting to kill when anyone pulls out a knife or screwdriver or whatever.” (October 2015)
Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan: “Palestinians have to understand they won’t have a state & Israel will rule over them.”(October 2015)
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked: In reference to the two-state solution, Shaked said: “I don't think it's a valid solution right now... I think that the status quo is the best option for everyone."(September 2015)
Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev: “We need to decide immediately that a soldier that is attacked is permitted to return fire. Period. I call on the minister of security to put an end to the humiliation and change the open fire regulations immediately!”
“Anyone who tries to harm Israeli civilians and soldiers needs to know his blood is in his head.” (August 2015)
Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan: “There has never been an Arab village called Susya.“ He described the village as “a ploy by leftist organizations to take over Area C [of the West Bank].” (July 2015)
Education Minister and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett: “The answer to terror is to build settlements, and not to be cowards. You, my brothers, are continuing this path. We know that the Land of Israel is acquired through suffering.” (July 2015)
Chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Nissan Slomiansky: “….we believe Israel already has a constitution, the Bible.”
“Knesset legislation should be compatible with Jewish law. There is no reason why this should not be the case…”
“It is crucial that we incorporate as many Jewish precepts as possible into our laws because these precepts have governed legal matters for 3,000 years with such beauty.” (June 2015)
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely: “I negate the idea of a two state-solution.”
“…instead of suicide and education towards terror [the Palestinians] have to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and express their will to live alongside it.” (June 2015)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “[The Palestinians] said that we are the focus of all evil in the world. They said that we are the poisoners of the wells of humanity. They said that we drink the blood of little children. All of these things are being said about us today as well.” (June 2015)
Chairman of the Yesh Atid Party Yair Lapid: In response to the BDS movement, Lapid said: “This is not about policies, or about the settlements, or about the peace process, this is classic anti-semitism in a modern disguise. In order to fight it, we need to move as the rabbi said, in the Vince Lombardi way, from defense to offense, and remind the world that behind these movements are the people responsible for 9/11, for the terror attacks in Madrid and London, and for the 250,000 people already killed in Syria.” (June 2015)
Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev: “Institutions that delegitimize the State of Israel will not receive funding. We had a crisis with FIFA and with Orange, who apologized, because they realized that Jewish power is consumer power. We can’t apologize for our existence as the State of Israel. I am for pluralism that allows for views to be expressed – but not for tarnishing or for boycotts against Israel….As minister of culture it’s my job to ensure a diversity of voices in Israeli society, [but] currently we are in the midst of a diplomatic campaign and we must do everything possible to stop giving ammunition to our enemies.” (June 2015)
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely: “We need to return to the basic truth of our rights to this country. This land is ours. All of it is ours. We did not come here to apologize for that.” (May 2015)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “They know that as long as Likud is in power, we won't divide Jerusalem, we won't make concessions, we won't withdraw from land." (March 2015)
Former Foreign Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman: "Those who are against us, there's nothing to be done – we need to pick up an ax and cut off his head. Otherwise we won't survive here." (March 2015)
Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev: “Leave the fantasies of peace alone at the moment, because the Palestinians don't want peace, they want Israel, all of it. The Palestinians don’t want peace with us. And if they do, they should start with Gaza.” (February 2015)