Professor Sternhell: Do something
Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
Sternhell on settlers: Enough talk, do something
Jerusalem professor, who was injured by a bomb placed at his home last month, speaks out against government's failure to deal with extremists following Sunday's threats against IDF
Following settlers' cries against Israeli troops on Sunday, Professor Ze'ev Sterhell, who was wounded by a pipe bomb placed at his home last month,
told Ynet, "Enough talk – let those responsible for law enforcement do something".
Sunday morning, following the evacuation of home of extreme right-wing activist Noam Federman in Hebron, settlers called for revenge against the Israel Defense Forces.
Outpost Evacuation
Border Guard, police and IDF forces raid home of extreme right-wing activist Noam Federman in West Bank city. Federman, two girls taken into custody on suspicion of assaulting policeman, attempting to damage police car
"We hope they are defeated by their enemies, we hope that they all become (kidnapped soldier) Gilad Shalit, that they are all killed and that they are all slaughtered, because that's what they deserve," one of the residents told Army Radio.
Sternhell, who had been receiving telephone threats for some time before the attack at his home, criticized the police and IDF's handling of such extremists, saying, "In the meantime, unfortunately, despite what happened to me, I do not see any changes in the treatment of these law breakers.
"It's about time that the people in government show the least bit of determination and responsibility and do something – so that in the territories they feel that something in the policy against these law breakers has changed."
The settler's threats against the defense establishment have proven to Professor Sternhell, he said, that nothing has changed in the way law breakers are dealt with in the territories.
"I have been expressing my opinion in different ways for the past 30 years, and unfortunately, each time the situation gets worse. I, as a private individual, do not have a personal responsibility and therefore all I can do is express my position. The problem is that those who hold the governing bodies, those who hold all the tools and the responsibility, also settle for just words."
According to Sternhell, "the prime minister and the ministers must realize that talking is not their profession. They, those responsible for the military and the police, should order all the elements of the bodies to do something.
"Instead, they are leaving the impression that nothing can be done - they who issue orders preventing access to Hebron so that people can't see with their eyes what goes on over there, they who view Peace Now's attempts to visit Hebron as provocative."
