Ayelet Shaked: Arab MKs to blame for deaths

“Along with left-wing NGOs, Odeh’s incitement terrorism is leading to the never-ending unrest of the Negev Beduin residents,” she wrote on Facebook.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Joint List and Hadash chairman Ayman Odeh brought about the death of Sr.-St.-Sgt.-Maj. Erez Levi on Wednesday, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said.
“Along with left-wing NGOs, Odeh’s incitement terrorism is leading to the never-ending unrest of the Negev Beduin residents,” she wrote on Facebook.
“Instead of promoting coexistence and dialogue, they dragged the situation to violence and anger.”
Shaked continued, “I also accuse the Arab MKs who were there [at Umm al-Hiran on Wednesday]; this is not the first time that some of the Joint List members and Balad MKs are causing bloodshed. [Balad MK Haneen] Zoabi in [the Mavi] Marmara [incident in 2010], [former Balad chairman Azmi] Bishara in the case of Hezbollah, [Balad MK Basel] Ghattas assisting murderers and Odeh fanning the flames with incitement that leads to the murder of a policeman.
“They are outlaws hiding behind the mask of protectors of the law,” she said.
Balad and Hadash are two of the four parties that make up the Joint List.
Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel (Bayit Yehudi), who is in charge of regulating the Beduin settlements in the Negev, said: “It [when a car drove into police on Wednesday] was a grave terrorist attack against an Israeli policeman who came to enforce the law in the illegal settlement of Umm al-Hiran.
“Unfortunately, the violence was encouraged by Arab MKs who fan the flames,” he said. “I call on the Beduin sector to avoid confrontation that will escalate the situation. I hope that the local mayors do the same.”
Kulanu MK Merav Ben-Ari said she wanted to “remind the residents of Umm al-Hiran and the MKs of the Joint List that the Supreme Court examined the situation of the village during a long period of time and decided that the residents should move out. The state did not abandon them, it gave them alternative housing in the neighboring village of Hura,” she said.
“I am sorry that lawmakers from the Joint List, and the [Arab Higher] Monitoring Committee, led by [former Hadash MK] Muhammad Barakei, chose the ways of incitement and violence over reconciliation. Even the terrorist attack did not stop them from their incitement, it just made it stronger.”
MK Nava Boker (Likud) sent a letter to the Knesset Ethics Committee asking to suspend Odeh from all parliamentarian activities.
“His acts in the demonstration today fanned the emotions and inflamed violence,” she said in the letter. “He attacked the policemen and interrupted them while they were doing their job. His presence led to the awful murder this morning.
“We must act against this kind of behavior of a party chairman. It should not be left untreated. His behavior is not only violent but also abuses his legal immunity,” Boker wrote.