Netanyahu’s Facebook Page Warns Voters: “Arabs Want to Destroy Us”

A message appearing on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Facebook page on Wednesday, September 11, called on voters to prevent the formation of a “secular, weak, dangerous, leftist government, supported by Arabs who want to destroy us all – women, children and men – and that will make possible a nuclear Iran that will annihilate us.” The message, which was reported in the daily, Communist newspaper, Al-Ittihad sought to rally votes for the Likud in next Tuesday’s, September 17, general election.

Joint List leader, MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash) condemned the message, saying, “We have contacted [the management of] Facebook demanding they act immediately to put an end to this racist and dangerous incitement by Netanyahu against the Arab population.”

Hadash- MK Ofer Cassif responded to the message saying that the prime minister had “finally crossed the line of sanity.” Cassif remarked, “Such a blatant and explicit Nazi statement should shock and terrify every person, on the Left and on the Right.

The message that appeared on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Facebook page on Wednesday, September 11, in which voters are warned to block "… in another week a dangerous leftist government with Lapid, Odeh, Gantz and Lieberman. A secular, weak, dangerous, leftist government, supported by Arabs who want to destroy us all – women, children and men – and that will make possible a nuclear Iran that will annihilate us.”

The message that appeared on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Facebook page on Wednesday, September 11, in which voters are warned to block “… in another week a dangerous leftist government with Lapid, Odeh, Gantz and Lieberman. A secular, weak, dangerous, leftist government, supported by Arabs who want to destroy us all – women, children and men – and that will make possible a nuclear Iran that will annihilate us.” (Photo: Al-Ittihad)

Amnesty International responded to the Netanyahu’s Facebook account message by issuing a statement saying, “The message sent this morning as a script for discussions from the prime minister’s Facebook page is in violation of section 144 of the Israeli Penal Code against incitement to racism and violence. We will contact the Attorney General and demand that he enforce the law to its full extent against the prime minister, who is not above the law, and against his staff.” Amnesty International added that the Facebook page message saying that there must be no “‘left-wing government that relies on Arabs that want to destroy us all [sic]’ is racist incitement against a fifth of the citizens of the state, the Palestinians who are citizens of Israel, and constitutes provocation against an entire sector of the country’s population.” Furthermore, Amnesty International maintained “a more dangerous incitement to violence is implied in the statement ‘they want to destroy us all – children, women and men’ [as] “It legitimizes the killing of ‘Arabs’ – read the Palestinians – because [according to the Babylonian Talmudic injunction ‎{Sanhedrin 72:1}] If someone comes to kill you, get up early to kill him first.’

Amnesty International concluded its response by saying that Netanyahu’s Facebook page message “‘masterly’ combines racism, the de-legitimization of a people, intimidation and incitement, and comes from the workshop of a sitting prime minister. We will not allow this to continue nor will we not allow this specific instance to pass quietly.”