In Knesset conference on battling anti-Semitism Bennett responds to Abbas statement about Israeli-free land; Liberman wonders why no one asked PA president to apologize for Holocaust denial dissertation in peace talks.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ statementthat “in a final solution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli…on our lands” took center stage at a Knesset conference Tuesday, with MKs inferring Israel’s negotiating partner is anti-Semitic.
Jerusalem and Diaspora Minister Naftali Bennett, who is responsible for the government’s efforts to battle anti-Semitism, attended a conference of a Knesset caucus on the issue, led by MK Shimon Ohayon (Likud Beytenu), and pointed out that Abbas denied the Holocaust.
“The President of the Palestinian Authority said he doesn’t want to see any Israelis on his land. Bad things happen when good people are silent. Good people need to act,” he stated.
Bennett came under fire on Monday for comments that he supposedly made where he said, “I have killed lots of Arabs in my life – and there is no problem with that.”
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Avigdor Liberman (Likud Beytenu) said he keeps a copy of Abbas’ book, which purports to connect Zionism and Nazism and has a Star of David and a swastika on its cover, in his office.
“I don’t know why, now that we’re all so excited about the peace process, no one remembered to mention it. Abbas never took his words back or apologized,” Liberman stated.
Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky said he read Abbas’ dissertation from the Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow, and explained that it claims Zionism and Nazism worked together because both wanted to remove all Jews from Europe.
“To this day, people ask me if I think anti-Semitism is a good thing, because it brings people to Israel. What ignorance and lies!” Sharansky said.
“Anti-Semitism is enemy number one of Zionism,” he added. “For every one person who makes aliya because of anti-Semitism, 10 assimilate. Anti-Semitism and delegitimization of Israel lead Jews to distance themselves from Judaism and Israel.”
Sharansky said anti-Semitism “is reaching new heights” and that the Knesset must put it on its agenda.
Speaking about anti-Semitism, Bennett explained that from Biblical times until now, people have tried to attack the Jewish spirit and body.
“People tried assimilating, thinking that if we look and act like other people we’ll be alright, but then the Holocaust happened,” Bennett said. “We can’t blame ourselves. We can’t try to accept or understand anti-Semitism, or think that if we try to make our country more likable around the world, it’ll stop.”
The Bayit Yehudi leader called for Jews to stand up for themselves and say that Israel is their country, adding that Israel is responsible for Jewish people around the world
The Jerusalem Post has the full article
(Photo: Wikipedia)
