Public Security Minister Avi Dichter on Monday night told Israel’s Channel 2 TV news that there was a political assassination 13 years ago and today, we must operate under the premise that this can and may occur again.

Dichter made his comments on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the murder of Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin. He stated that security considerations for the prime minister and other senior government officials must be based on this fact for it is now reality.

Regarding the ongoing campaign de-legitimizing Yosh residents, Dichter stressed the overwhelming number of residents in yishuvim throughout Yehuda and Shomron are indeed law-abiding citizens but there is a growing “extremist element” that has him concerned.

He warned this element views itself as the proprietor of their land and destiny, unwilling to heed to the rules of play as dictated by any outside authority, including the State of Israel, its security agencies, local municipal authorities or whomever. He called for using the full weight of the law against such people who he feels present a real threat, including a willingness to perpetrate another political assassination.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)