Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said he is "ashamed and shocked by the cruel murder of the teenager Muhammad Abu Khader."
Ya'alon added that "these despicable murderers do not represent the Jewish people and its values. They should be treated the way terrorists are treated. We will not allow Jewish terrorists from our midst to disrupt the fabric of life between various sectors in the state of Israel, and to harm innocents just because they are Arabs."
The defense minister said "these acts and similar acts harm the state of Israel, stain its face, and we must combat the perpetrators and those who send them with an iron hand."