Members of Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition on Sunday criticized Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, for reportedly telling the prime minister that Jewish terrorism was an accelerator for Palestinian terror. "We see there is confusion as to who is an enemy," Limor Son Har-Melech a member of Otzsma Yehudit told Ynet in an interview.
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Bar said that violence against Palestinians perpetrated by settlers posed a strategic danger, bolstering the Islamic Jihad and Hamas and compromising the Palestinian Authority's efforts to prevent terror from their operatives in the West Bank. He warned that the physical harm and the damage to Palestinian property would lead to acts of revenge that may cost Jewish lives. Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi also warned that violence perpetrated by settlers was increasing the motivation of terrorists to act.
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Limor Son Har-Melech , Ronen Bar, Tali Gottleib
(Yoav Davidovitch, Motti Kimchi, Alex Kolomoisky )
Son Har-Melech's former spokesperson was remanded to custody on suspicion of involvement in the killing of a Palestinian youth in the village of Burka, on Friday, charges he denies.
"I have deep appreciation and endless love for the soldiers and security officials but we cannot ignore the fact that a perception and policy has become prevalent among senior members of those organizations, that does not differentiate between enemies and our own people and does not know who they must protect," she said. "Unfortunately, today everyone knows that there is a glass ceiling in these institutions that allows only people who hold certain views, to be promoted. These are views that are detrimental to Israel."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said anyone who defends himself against stone throwers deserves a medal, referring to the incident on Friday, adding that he expected the police to quickly investigate the Arab rioters who threw stones and attempted to murder Jews."
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Security forces detain Elisha Yered after settlers kill a Palestinian on Friday
(Photo: Liran Tamari)
A member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party, firebrand Tali Gottlieb agreed. "The ideology of the left has reached the top echelons of the Shin Bet," she said. The deep state has infiltrated the leadership of the Shin Bet and the IDF", Gottlieb added.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant rejected the claims by far-right coalition partners and said he suggests that they retract their statements. "Thanks to the Shin Bet and its leader, who operate out of public sight, Israeli lives are saved on a daily basis. Any attack on them from public servants is harmful to the security of the country and its citizens," Gallant said.