Channel 2 News reported Monday night, January 4, that in the wake of last Friday’s terror attack in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering withholding funds earmarked for Arab-Palestinian communities in Israel unless they accept new measures for “increased law enforcement.” According to the report, the prime minister instructed government ministers Ze’ev Elkin and Yariv Levin to prepare such a plan “in response to the deadly shooting” which, police allege, was carried out by a Palestinian citizen of Israel, Nashat Milhem.
MK Ayman Odeh, last week (Photo: Al Ittihad)
The Prime Minister’s Office denied the report, saying there were no plans to limit or make conditional the NIS 15 billion ($4 billion) aid package for the Arab community approved by the government last week. “There is no change,” said a statement issued by the prime minister’s office (PMO). “”The prime minister is committed to the plan.” But Immigration Minister Ze’ev Elkin contradicted the PMO’s statement and confirmed the Channel 2 report.
Asked to respond to the conflicting claims, a spokeswoman for the immigration minister told The Times of Israel that Elkin “affirmed the details in the [Channel 2] report” and said that he had been asked by the prime minister to prepare measures making the aid package conditional. “The money is to go to local councils and we maintain that if a local council doesn’t take steps for the good of the State of Israel, then it shouldn’t be able to receive funds from it,” said the spokeswomen.
The report that Netanyahu planned to make the funds condition drew harsh condemnation from opposition politicians and members of the Arab community. Joint List head MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash) rejected the proposal, calling it “spin” and “incitement” by Netanyahu. “We will stand united against any effort to divide the Arab community into moderates and extremists,” said Odeh in a statement. “We have no expectations from Netanyahu’s extreme right-wing government. It’s clear to us that we will have to fight at every stage for the implementation of this plan.” Joint List MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), asked rhetorically on Twitter whether Netanyahu would withhold funds earmarked for the Jewish community the next time a Jew carries out a terrorist act.
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