Perhaps surprisingly, every Arab Israeli political faction in the Knesset — and even the municipality of the Bedouin town that his home to the killer — quickly and publicly condemned a terror attack Tuesday in Be’er Sheva that left four people dead and a fifth fighting for life.
The attack was perpetrated by a Bedouin supporter of ISIS from the nearby town of Hura.
4 Israelis Dead, 1 Clings to Life After Ram-and-Stab Terror Attack in Be’er Sheva
“Harming innocent citizens is a criminal and despicable act of terror,” the Hura municipality said in a statement issued to media. “The municipality calls on all residents of the Negev, Arabs and Jews alike, to maintain the good relationship they have had until now.”
That “good relationship” is, however, repeatedly tested any time there is a call by Arab agitators to “rise up” against the State of Israel, including during the war against Israel last May by Gaza’s ruling Hamas terror organization.
Rioters from Hura hurled rocks at Israeli vehicles and attacked Jewish drivers on Highway 31, a main artery from Arad to Be’er Sheva that passes the town — cutting off access for Arad residents to Be’er Sheva and all points west. A large segment of the highway was closed by police to “protect Israeli drivers” during the days of violence perpetrated to support the terrorist war on Israel by Bedouin residents of Hura and nearby Kseifa.
Israeli Arab lawmakers were especially loud in their condemnation of the Be’er Sheva terror attack. The United Arab List (Ra’am), a member of Israel’s governing coalition, was first to issue its condemnation and offered condolences to the families of the victims.
“The Arab citizens of the state are law-abiding and denounce anybody who uses violence against other citizens,” the party emphasized.
“Ra’am calls on all citizens to maintain the common and delicate fabric of life, to show responsibility and to promote a tolerant discourse at this difficult time.”
Likewise, Arab Joint List leader Ayman Odeh denounced the killer, saying, “Violence is not our way and we must condemn it with all our might. My heart goes out to the families of those killed in this difficult time and I wish a speedy recovery to the wounded.”
The Arab-Jewish Hadash party, led by Odeh since 2006, issued a separate statement saying, “The way of violence is not the way of the Arab public in general and the Negev in particular, and is not part of the just struggle of the Negev Arabs against the dispossession and oppression.
“We already hear the instigators intend to use the tragedy to ignite a racist fire and lead to violence against Arab citizens,” Hadash claimed. “They must not be allowed to exploit the murder of innocent people to lead to more violence.”
