JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned racism against Israeli Arabs and vandalism attacks against Palestinians.
“I would like to strongly condemn recent phenomena of racism against Israeli Arabs and hooliganism against Palestinians, which were without any provocation or justification whatsoever,” Netanyahu said on Sunday at the start of the regular weekly Cabinet meeting. “We strongly reject these phenomena and will act with all legal means at our disposal to stop them.”
Netanyahu was reacting to reports that an Israeli amusement park in central Israel was renting its facilities on separate days for Jewish and Arab school trips.
Superland in Rishon Lezion said late last week that the segregated days were established at the request of some Israeli junior and senior high schools booking end-of-the-year student fun days.
Netanyahu also was reacting to recent vandalism against Palestinian targets in the West Bank, believed to be “price tag” revenge attacks in which Palestinian cars were torched or had their tires slashed and graffiti was spray-painted on nearby walls.
