MKs accuse Tibi, a-Sanaa of stoking violence

Yisrael Beytenu, Likud MKs accuse Arab counterparts of incitement to violence after they took part in Sakhnin demonstrations.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Yisrael Beytenu and Likud MKs accused their Arab counterparts of incitement to violence on Tuesday, following demonstrations in Sakhnin protesting the failure of the government to prosecute anyone for the death of 12 Israeli Arabs and one Palestinian in riots 12 years ago.
UAL-Ta’al MKs Taleb a-Sanaa and Ahmed Tibi participated, along with several thousand other Israeli Arabs, in the protests in Sakhnin on Monday, where Palestinian flags and black banners of mourning were waved.
“If the government fails to do justice – we shall. If it fails to punish the criminals – we shall,” a-Sanaa said. “The Arab public holds the Israeli government accountable.”
“A state that kills its own citizens and rewards their murderers is acting in a criminal, racist manner,” Tibi said, adding that Israeli Arabs will not forgive or forget, and called for those who killed the 13 to be punished.
MK David Rotem (Yisrael Beytenu) said that a- Sanaa was inciting the crowd to be violent and take the law in their own hands.
“Once again, the disloyalty of Arab MKs to the State of Israel has been proven,” Rotem stated.
“It is too bad that we didn’t hear a-Sanaa’s voice after the murder of the Fogel family’s children in Itamar [in March 2011] and after a series of other terrible murders in which Jewish blood was spilled.”
According to MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), Tibi and a-Sanaa’s words show that they are followers of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who tries to rewrite the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We must point out the inaccuracies in their words, so that the aggressor will stop lying in Israel and around the world [by claiming] that they are the victim,” she said.
MK Danny Danon (Likud) called for there to be a discussion in the Knesset about what he called Arab MKs’ incitement to violence.
“The MKs who speak out against the State of Israel crossed every red line,” Danon said. “In a different country, they would already be behind bars.”
Danon called the Arab MKs “terrorists disguised as MKs,” adding that “we cannot stand silent when faced with the terrorist cell developing in the Knesset. Their escalating activity – praising ‘martyrs,’ meeting terrorists, attending an anti-Israel conference in Qatar, and now encouraging a violent battle against the state – must be put to a stop.”
MK Alex Miller (Yisrael Beytenu) accused Tibi and a-Sanaa of subversive behavior against the state and encouraging violence as a solution to problems.
“The Arab MKs add to the bonfire of hate and prevent the Arab population from feeling like it belongs in the State of Israel,” he stated.