Israel compares Paris attacks with 'terrorism' in West Bank

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has compared the Paris attacks to "Islamic terror" in the occupied Palestinian territories.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

16 November, 2015

Netanyahu used the Paris attack to defend Israeli security measure [Getty]

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu drew parallels on Sunday between Palestinian operations against Israelis and the IS attacks in Paris that killed 129 people.

"We are not at fault for the terrorism turned toward us, just as the French are not at fault for the terrorism turned toward them," he said.

"Those to blame for terrorism are terrorists. Not the territories, not the settlements, nor any other factor - it is the will to destroy us that keeps the conflict alive and motivates murderous aggression against us."

Netanyahu said that Israel's "resolute policy", including "controlling territory, entering villages, demolishing terrorists' homes, disrupting terror networks," were the reasons Israel "many times succeeds in intercepting and preventing more severe disasters".

These "resolute policies" have come under fire for violating the rights of Palestinians.

"It is time for states to condemn terrorism against us like they condemn terrorism anywhere else in the world. It is appropriate that [Palestinian Authority President] Mahmoud Abbas, who condemned the attack in France yesterday, will condemn the cruel terrorism against innocents in Israel and fight the incitement fueling it," Netanyahu told his cabinet.

At a situation assessment at the Foreign Ministry, Netanyahu said that Israel had information relating to those involved in the attacks in French capital.

"For many years, I have been saying that Islamic terror is attacking Israel and other countries because it simply wants to destroy us. An attack on any of us needs to be seen as an attack on all of us," Netanyahu said.

His comments were echoed by Israeli op-eds and comments made by politicians.

"The whole world now understands what we experience in Israel and Jerusalem - murderous terrorism motivated by the same hatred and a mission of death against innocents in the West," Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat wrote late on Saturday.

The official Fatah movement Facebook page meanwhile condemned the attacks and compared them with Israeli operations against Palestinians in the West Bank.

"Terror is terror and we condemn all terror. Be it destroying houses in Nablus and killing our children by Israel or hitting a Russian plane over Egypt. The Paris attacks are criminal acts done by coward terrorists," they wrote.

At least eighty Palestinians have been killed since the latest escalation of violence in the West Bank began in October.