Netanyahu cuts vacation short to meet with Ya'alon
Prime minister summons vice premier to Kirya base in Tel Aviv after minister referred to Israel's Left as 'a virus'
Peace Now has called on Netanyahu to dismiss Ya'alon and not to settle for a reprimand according to the standard protocol. "The prime minister must actively renounce the expressions of incitement by groups like Moshe Feiglin's Jewish Leadership, and defend the Israeli democracy," the movement said in a statement.
The remarks were made by Ya'alon during a meeting with members of the Likud's Jewish Leadership division, headed by Moshe Feiglin.
When asked by one of the attendees about plans to dismantle the Bnei Adam outpost, Ya'alon responded, "We again are dealing with the issue of the virus, Peace Now – the elitists, if you may – who have incurred great damage. From my perspective, Jews can and need to live in all of the Land of Israel for all eternity."
Ya'alon also warned against folding to US pressure. "There are certain things we need to say – up to here. When you do things you don't believe in, you enter a slippery slope because they put pressure on you, and you keep rolling downwards."
"I'm not afraid of the Americans," said Ya'alon, drawing loud applause from the audience.
On Wednesday night, the Prime Minister's Office issued a statement saying that "the remarks made by Minister Ya'alon are unacceptable, neither in their essence nor in their style, and do not represent the government's stance.
"In the face of the pluralism of opinions in the Israeli public, the prime minister believes mutual respect and unity must be maintained. This is right for any time, and especially for these times."
Attila Somfalvi contributed to this report
