Netanyahu meets Druze leaders in Jerusalem

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concludes a meeting with Druze leaders in his office in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu told them: “Your boys, the boys of us all serve and fight in the IDF and defend the country that is for all of us. We are all law-abiding, loyal citizens, and if someone violates these rules and takes the laws into their hands it is our duty to condemn it and to make sure that these violations will not become norm. This is something we must prevent – the recurrence of such incidents.”

The prime minister was referring to the lynching by Druze residents of an injured Syrian man in an IDF ambulance in the Golan Heights on Monday.

“I think also,” Netanyahu added, “that it is important to prevent harm to IDF soldiers who are carrying out their missions. We succeeded in keeping Israel from sliding to the anarchy all around us, we succeeded because we knew how to draw a line around our actions, to act sensibly. Nevertheless, I want to say a personal word to the community. I cherish the community, cherish its achievements, its contribution to the state in general and to the state’s security specifically,” Netanyahu says.

“Out of this attitude of respect, partnership and camaraderie I ask that we continue to work together as we did until today to ensure the state’s security and the regular activity of the IDF and security establishment,” he added.

The leader of the Druze community in Israel, Sheikh Moafaq Tarif, said “I am well aware of all that you do for the state and for our community. Of course we condemned everything that happened. Our tradition and religion are against harming an injured person or an ambulance. This is not our way, not our education…and we hope you will continue to lead this whole affair wisely. We are at your service.”