At the start to this week’s government cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s “zero tolerance” policy towards the issue of terror attacks – any terror attacks – and pointed out it is this policy that “distinguishes us from our neighbors.”
The remarks followed a 36-hour period which saw more than 60 Arab terror attacks, allegedly in “retaliation” for the horrific Jewish terror attack carried out against a small family in the Arab village of Duma late last week.
Four Jews were allegedly seen fleeing from the scene after hurling a firebomb into the open window of a small home in the village near the Samaria city of Shechem. An 18-month-old toddler was killed in the attack; his 4-year-old brother and parents were badly wounded. Hebrew writing at the scene constituted evidence the crime was carried out by Israelis.
The other terror attack carried out last week by a Jew was the stabbing of six people at the Gay Pride parade by a recidivist stabber Thursday in Jerusalem. Most of the victims are still in serious to critical condition.
“We recently witnessed two abhorrent crimes,” Netanyahu said. “Our policy toward these crimes is zero tolerance. I have instructed security and law-enforcement officials to use all legal means at their disposal to apprehend the murderers and deal with the stabber and the arsonists to the fullest extent of the law.
“We are determined to vigorously fight manifestations of hate, fanaticism and terrorism from whatever side. The fight against these phenomena unites us all.
“This is not a struggle by this or that faction. This is a matter of basic humanity and is at the foundation of our enlightened Jewish values.
“I remember as a child, when I would visit on Shabbat the home of my father’s great teacher, Professor Joseph Klausner, among the Jewish People’s greatest historians in the modern era, over his door were etched two words: ‘Judaism’ and ‘humanity’. They are combined and are mutually supportive.
“This is what distinguishes us from our neighbors. We deplore and condemn these murderers. We will pursue them to the end.
“They name public squares after the murderers of children. This distinction cannot be blurred or covered up. It is important to say this even as we utter our condemnations and unite against the criminals among our people.”