- Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim, addressing the issue
of why much of local, regional and world terrorism is directed by extremist
Muslims, asked Tuesday, "What is it about Islam as a whole and the
Palestinians in particular? Is it some form of cultural deprivation? Is
it some genetic defect? There is something that defies explanation in this
continued murderousness."
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- Boim was speaking at a memorial ceremony for the victims
of a bus attack on the Coastal Highway 26 years ago.
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- MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) said in response that "whoever
says that Palestinian behavior is caused by a genetic defect has a brain
defect himself and the values of a racist fascist."
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- "Boim is giving racism a bad name, and returning
to the same kind of primitive, sickening and dangerous racism from which
the Jews have suffered for many generations," Zahalka said, and demanded
that the law against racism be enforced following Boim's statements.
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- Meretz MK Avshalom Vilan also condemned Boim's statements
and demanded he retract them, reminding the crowd that Boim used to be
a high school principal.
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- MK Ophir Pines-Paz (Labor) called for Boim's resignation
if he does not apologize.
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- MK Ahmed Tibi (Hadash) said he does not think Boim should
resign because the deputy defense minister acts as valuable evidence for
those who think the Israeli government embraces a group of fascists.
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- Likud MK Yehiel Hazan supported Boim's statements.
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- "What Ze'ev Boim said, it hasn't been researched,
but according to my experience this is true. I think he is correct. It
is well-known that Arabs have been slaughtering and murdering Jews for
more than a generation," Hazan said.
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- "I think this it is in their blood. It is something
genetic. I have not researched this, but there is no other way to explain
this," Hazan added. "Don't believe an Arab, even one who has
been in the grave for 40 years."
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- Meimad leader MK Rabbi Michael Melchior slammed the statements
as racist and against the tenets of Judaism and likened them to claims
of genetic flaws linked to Jews by the Nazis and others throughout history.
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- "He is a member of the Israeli government. What
he says spreads out across the world as if it is a statement issued by
the Israeli government," Melchior said. "I don't think he should
resign. I think he should apologize."
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