Netanyahu Says Arab Incitement at Root of Conflict; ‘We Are Not Foreigners in Hebron or Bet El’
by Joshua Levitt
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Arab incitement to violence and a failure to recognize the Jewish state are at the root of the conflict with the Palestinian Authority.
Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said, “At today’s meeting, we will discuss the periodic index of incitement in the Palestinian Authority. To my regret, this incitement is continuing.”
“We have seen examples in recent days. Opposition to recognizing the Jewish state and our right to be here is continuing,” Netanyahu said. “We are not foreigners in Jerusalem, Beit El or Hebron. I reiterate that in my view, this is the root of both the conflict and the incitement, the non-recognition of this basic fact.”
Netanyahu said the government’s policies helped reduce terror attacks on Israeli citizens in 2013 to their lowest levels in a decade.
“In 2013, according to official data, there was the lowest number of terrorist attacks in a decade. This is not coincidental. It is the product of a very clear policy of responsive and preventive action, a quick response and continuous preventive action against those who seek to do us harm,” he said.