Ex-defense minister says Arab Israelis would’ve ‘slaughtered’ Jews if they had the chance

Former defense minister and IDF chief of staff Moshe Ya’alon draws left-wing criticism after saying in a radio interview that Arab Israelis would have “slaughtered” Jews if Israel wasn’t a strong Jewish state.

“Had we not been strong, there wouldn’t be a Jewish state here,” he tells the Kan public broadcaster. Asked whether Arabs would have exploited a weakness to slaughter Jews, he says: “Absolutely, I have no doubts about it.”

After Joint List MK Ahmad Tibi decried the remark as incitement, Ya’alon releases a “clarification” statement saying he is “sorry if my remarks weren’t understood properly.”

“In the interview, I stressed the importance of integrating Arab Israelis in Israeli society, and the vast majority of them want that. I clarified that the government must work to integrate them.”