MKs tour Hebron
Photo: Roi Yalin
Ben-Gvir during confrontation
Photo: Roi Yalin
Hebron: Rightists confront Hadash MKs
Ben-Gvir, Marzel shout 'traitors, enemies of Israel' at Leftist lawmakers taking part in tour organized by Breaking the Silence. Barakeh's spokesman: Police allowing them to do whatever they want
A confrontation broke out Wednesday morning between right-wing activists and Knesset members from the Hadash party who were touring the West Bank city of Hebron.
Police refused to intervene in the heated argument, which did not turn violent apart from one shove.
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As soon as the lawmakers stepped off the bus, extreme rightists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel shouted, "Traitors, enemies of Israel, get of here." During the tour Ben-Gvir yelled at MK Mohammad Barakeh "Go to your doghouse".
Confrontation in Hebron (Photo: Roi Yalin)
The rightists also shouted towards the lawmakers and the leftists who accompanied them, "We are all Shayetet 13 (commando unit that raided the Gaza-bound flotilla). You belong to the group Marmara (Turkish ship that was seized by the Israeli commandos)."
According to Marzel, the tour was "an attempt to make a provocation a few days after an Israeli police officer was murdered in Kiryat Arba."
Police rejected the MKs demand to disperse the rightists, saying their gathering was legal.
"Police are allowing rightists here to do whatever they want," Barakeh's spokesman said. "They were on the verge of attacking us, and shouted, 'Death sentence for traitors'."
MK Dov Khenin said the rightists threatened to murder him. "Hadash joined a tour organized by Breaking the Silence and a major commotion ensued. We are trying to listen to the (leftists') explanations, but the rightists are constantly shouting. Some of them even threatened to kill us like in Dir Yasin (Arab village captured by the Etzel and the Lechi forces in 1948)," he said.
