Netanyahu says Arab community leaders not doing enough to condemn violence

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Lod earlier this evening, receiving a situational assessment on police efforts to restore order in the city that has been torn apart by ethnically motivated violence.

“Groups of Arab rioters are attacking Jews all over,” says Netanyahu in a video statement.

“I am explicitly saying that this is not the entire Arab public and not even the majority of the Arab public, but it is a significant minority that is violently harming innocents, and this harms the fabric of life we ​​have built over the years between Jews and Arabs. It must stop,” he says.

“The reaction of Arab community leaders to this day has been very weak,” he continues.

“Everyone should condemn it, any form of violence, of Arabs against Jews and also of Jews against Arabs. I do so without hesitating for a moment.”

“We can have no stone-throwing, no gunfire, no arson attacks of synagogues. We will act with all our might to prevent these crimes.”

He says security forces will deal with such criminals as they do terrorists.

Addressing Israeli security forces, Netanyahu says they “should not be afraid to do what they have to do to protect the lives of themselves and peaceful citizens of Israel. We will do whatever it takes to restore peace to the cities of Israel.”