Israel Matzav

Ayalon shoots down complaints about 'settler violence'

In a meeting on Wednesday with US Lieutenant General Paul Selva, who is in charge of monitoring implementation of the 'road map,' Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon dismissed complaints about 'settler violence.'

A senior US official expressed concern on Wednesday with the violence of some settlers, and – alluding to the recent burning of a West Bank mosque attributed to settlers – said the US would like to see better results in Israeli law enforcement and prevention of these types of activities.

Lt.-Gen. Paul Selva, the US envoy appointed to monitor the implementation of the road map peace plan, met with Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Wednesday, and along with praise of Israel for significantly improving the freedom of access for Palestinians by removing numerous IDF roadblocks, also expressed concern about the settlement violence, including the uprooting of trees and the burning of Palestinian orchards.

Ayalon replied that Israel was a nation of law and was against any form of violence.

“If there are extreme cases, then they are the exception to the rule, and we call the perpetrators to task through condemnation and the due process of law,” he said.

Ayalon said that while this violence was the exception, “on the other hand we see a systematic campaign [in the Palestinian Authority] to delegitimize us through incitement, through naming streets after terrorists, through pronouncing death sentences on anyone who sells land to Jews, through the boycott of Israeli products and the international campaign against us.”

I find the entire complaint offensive. There are laws here and they are enforced. The contrast between Israel and the 'Palestinians' when it comes to violence should be obvious.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:42 PM