Ex-Shin Bet Chief: Right-Wing Settlers Poses Threat
Right-wing extremism is Israel much more violent than that originating in the political left, former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin was recorded as saying on Friday, adding that an attempt to evacuate West Bank settlements could result in an event similar to the assassination of the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Earlier Saturday, remarks made by the former security official were made public, according to which he had “no faith” in the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
Diskin was severely criticized by ministers from Netanyahu’s Likud party, with Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Shalom Simhon saying that the former Shin Bet’s “failure of judgment caused [Gilad] Shalit to rot years in captivity and Israel to pay a dear price.”
“He who doesn’t know what council to give on prisoners shouldn’t boast of his ability to give the people of Israel council on an existential threat such as the Iranian nuclear program,” Simhon added.
Later Saturday, more remarks made by Diskin during a Friday meet were released. Included in those remarks was an assertion that Israel’s right-wing extremists are more violent than those from the left-wing – a warning against the possibility of a violent outbreak that could ensue following an attempt to evacuate West Bank settlements.
“The Rabin assassination can repeat itself. There are extremist Jews within the Green Line as well, not only in the territories. It’s an optical illusion that they’re all in the territories,” Diskin said.
For more, go to Haaretz.com
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