Katz: West Bank operations to expand, Yair Golan spreading ‘blood libel’ about settlers

Speaking at the weekly cabinet meeting, Defense Minister Israel Katz says that counterterrorism operations in the West Bank are expected to expand.

“In addition to the operations currently underway,” he says, “similar measures are now being considered by identifying where terrorist activity is being organized and where we need to strike in order to disrupt it and prevent it from continuing.”

Katz also takes the opportunity to launch an attack on The Democrats party chief Yair Golan.

“Yesterday, I was sorry to hear — though not surprised — that someone who was once a senior IDF officer and is now one of the leaders of the opposition, perhaps even their candidate for defense minister judging by the way he speaks, publicly curses the prime minister and me, and blames the residents of Judea and Samaria for Palestinian terrorism,” he says.

Referring to a Friday West Bank shootout, Golan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Katz of deliberately turning the West Bank “on the eve of the election into a violent arena that endangers human life.”

“Our soldiers’ blood that has been spilled, and that unfortunately is yet to be spilled, is on their hands,” Golan said.

Katz accuses Golan of spreading a “blood libel” about settlers which he says, will only motivate terrorists to carry out more attacks.

“Saying such things about the settlers,” says Katz, “who today help protect all the population centers in Israel, and saying such things about our soldiers, only makes our duty to suppress terrorism even greater.”