MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor) said on Wednesday that the IDF should have shot at the
activists that attacked soldiers earlier this week.
"The
gang of criminals took a brick, threw it at an officer's head and
almost killed him," he said during a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense
Committee meeting with head of the IDF Manpower Directorate, Maj.-Gen.
Orna Barbivai. "Too bad the IDF didn't arrest anyone; too bad they
didn't shoot; too bad they didn't react."
RELATED:Barak: Consider classifying 'hilltop youth' a terror group Analysis: Time to create deterrence The
former defense minister said that if someone tries to kill an IDF
soldier, it shouldn't matter if the person is Jewish or Arab.
"Whoever comes to kill you – kill him first. This is terror. I was
witness to such terror in 1995, which ended in a prime minister being
killed. If I were [Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu], I would be very
concerned," Ben-Eliezer said.
The Labor MK called for a "lethal reaction" from the IDF and Shin Bet to stop the "price tag" phenomenon.
MK Arye Eldad (National Union) responded by saying that there clearly
are too many crazy people, and that the IDF must stop "price tag"
activists from harming soldiers and innocent Arabs, but some sanity must
be brought into the situation.
"Jews shouldn't through rocks and IDF soldiers, and IDF soldiers
shouldn't, God forbid, shoot at Jews," he said. "Whoever calls to shoot
settlers is trying to light a fire in hope that he can build his future
on the ashes."
Later, in an interview with Israel Radio, Ben-Eliezer clarified that
most of the settlers, who are loyal to the law and serve in the IDF,
should be the "eyes and ears" of the state in the West Bank, and should
not be afraid to raise their voices and try to stop rioters.
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Shaul Mofaz
(Kadima) opened the meeting by criticizing the violence against IDF
soldiers, saying that the committee will defend soldiers and ensure that
those who try to harm them will be stopped.
"I call on the prime minister: The time for condemnation is over. Now is
the time for action," Mofaz said. "Put an end to this criminal,
terrorist activity."
Also Wednesday, Intelligence Agencies Minister Dan Meridor condemned the
price-tag incidents, saying that the "wild, violent attack is not the
first time red lines have been crossed."
"Now, it's come to harming our soldiers, raising a hand to our army and
our police and challenging the state," Meridor said at the Knesset
plenum. "They must be punished to the full extent of the law."
Meridor added: "We must stop this fire – it may only burn the edges of society now, but it could burn us all."
Michael Omer-Man contributed to this report.