Meretz chairwoman Zehava Galon aroused a storm after she called to “restrain IDF soldiers” earlier this week while blaming Jewish “settlers” for the escalation of Arab terror and wave of attack in recent months.

“The settlers are holding riots by the Palestinians and this creates an escalation,” Galon claimed. “The IDF secures convoys of settlers on all kinds of marches and this is a provocation. Anyone who proposes to send more forces into the shetachim (Yehudah and Shomron] will cause an unnecessary escalation. There needs to be a stronger hand against the settlers.”

She also called on Defense Minister Benny Gantz “to restrain and moderate IDF soldiers, there’s a crazy increase in the number of Palestinians killed. I think that there’s a certain relaxation in certain circumstances when there’s also a loosening of the rules to open fire.”

Gantz responded to Galon by accusing her of irresponsible behavior. “We’re in a situation of sensitive security, which also requires responsibility from elected officials in their statements,” he said. “This is the case with the procedures for opening fire, which are determined solely by the IDF Chief of Staff and commanders without any political involvement.”

“No one ties the hands of the soldiers,” Gantz continued, “and no one authorizes unnecessary shooting. The commanders and soldiers of the IDF and the security forces, faced with a complex reality on the ground, have full backing to carry out their mission, and provide security to the citizens of Israel with determination and professionalism.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)