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In Unprecedented Incitement Against Arabs, Netanyahu Says They ‘Want to Destroy Israel’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on after delivering a statement in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel September 10, 2019. Reuters/Amir Cohen
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on after delivering a statement in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel September 10, 2019. Reuters/Amir Cohen
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In Unprecedented Incitement Against Arabs, Netanyahu Says They ‘Want to Destroy Israel’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on after delivering a statement in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel September 10, 2019. Reuters/Amir Cohen
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on after delivering a statement in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel September 10, 2019. Reuters/Amir Cohen

Israeli right-wing activists have started an unprecedented incitement campaign on social media against Arabs.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also participated in the campaign and called on voters, through his Facebook page, to avoid a left-wing government of “Arabs who want to destroy us all – women, children, and men – and allow a nuclear Iran that will kill us.”

The Premier was later forced to remove the post, following uproar against him even among some right-wing forces.

Observers agreed that Netanyahu's recent actions were a result of his extreme nervousness since his chances to win the upcoming elections are the lowest ever. They said he is using all means possible in this electoral battle to avoid being jailed.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu also tried to avoid being filmed by Joint List party leader Ayman Odeh who used his mobile phone camera to confront Netanyahu closely.

Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein was outraged by Odeh's move and got him removed from the hall. He also assigned a bodyguard to protect Netanyahu inside the Knesset so that no other deputy could approach him.

This has taken place on Wednesday during the second failed discussion, initiated by the Likud Party. The session was held to discuss a bill that requires placing cameras in the ballot box during the parliamentary elections, scheduled to be held next Tuesday.

For the second time in two days, the Knesset’s General Assembly dropped the draft law, which received only 58 votes from the required 61 votes.

A total of 62 MKs deliberately abstained from voting.

The bill was drafted by Justice Minister Amir Ohana and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri to monitor ballot boxes in Arab towns, claiming that they are known for electoral fraud.

They both ignored the fact that the fraud revealed by police in 29 boxes was mostly for Likud’s interest.

The bill was opposed by Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and Legal Adviser to the Knesset Eyal Yinon, asserting that it was unconstitutional.

All opposition parties opposed the bill, including Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s right-wing party, which said it stimulates chaos in the elections.

However, Netanyahu attended the discussion session during which he delivered a speech inciting against Arabs and attacking Lieberman at the same time.

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Arab World

Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
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Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)

A surge in deadly violence has gripped the quiet northern town of al-Dabbah, exposing the growing threat posed by the rampant spread of weapons across Sudan in the absence of effective state control.

At least eight people were killed over just two days, four in tribal clashes and four others in a street fight within the town.

The latest bloodshed comes amid a broader climate of insecurity, where gunfire has become a common soundscape. In nearby Omdurman, social media users circulated graphic footage of a young man shot dead in cold blood after resisting an attempt to steal his mobile phone.

Reports of killings and injuries from arguments and brawls settled with bullets have flooded social platforms, painting a grim picture of lawlessness. Armed robbery gangs are said to roam freely, terrorizing civilians with no security forces in sight.

As Sudan’s brutal conflict enters its third year, guns have become as commonplace in towns and villages as household items. What was once settled with fists or sticks is now resolved through the barrel of a gun.

Tens of thousands of civilians have reportedly armed themselves, citing the need for self-defense amid state collapse and the disintegration of law enforcement.

Even before the war erupted, estimates suggested around 2.2 million firearms were circulating in Sudan’s conflict zones. Since then, the figure is believed to have ballooned, with unofficial estimates placing the current number at nearly six million, most acquired privately or informally.

In al-Dabbah, local authorities confirmed tribal clashes erupted between members of the Kababish and Hawaweer tribes, leaving four dead and others wounded before security forces intervened. The following day, a quarrel between vehicle drivers escalated into a gunfight, claiming four more lives.

Meanwhile, in the Omdurman district of Al-Hattana, gunmen fatally shot a man while attempting to snatch his phone, another grim scene that social media brought into public view.

Weapons have now flooded Sudan’s markets. Eyewitnesses and former security officials say that under the brief control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, firearms were openly sold on the street like vegetables, with prices starting at just 20,000 Sudanese pounds, roughly $10.

Security experts say this gun chaos is not a sudden phenomenon but the product of years of unchecked proliferation.

Under former President Omar al-Bashir, weapons were distributed to tribal militias to fight opposing groups. With the eruption of nationwide conflict, arms have spread from the traditional battlegrounds of Darfur and Kordofan to cities in Sudan’s north, east, and center.

Legal analyst Moaz Hadra warned of the growing dangers of “random arming,” saying some groups are being trained and armed outside Sudan to destabilize the country. “Why are these groups being trained abroad instead of within Sudan’s military institutions?” he asked when speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Officials Downplay Risk, Citing Self-Defense

Despite mounting violence, Sudanese security and military officials continue to downplay the threat. They argue that most weapons are held by civilians for self-protection against RSF attacks or roaming bandits. “Should a citizen wait helplessly while armed men storm his home?” one commentator asked rhetorically.

Brigadier General Fath al-Rahman al-Toum, a police spokesman, dismissed fears of total lawlessness, saying that gun crackdowns are ongoing and that firearms possession is being treated as an exceptional situation under extraordinary circumstances.

Others, like Brigadier General Saleh Abdullah, insist that once the war ends, collecting the weapons will be “very easy,” noting that most guns were distributed under strict regulations to reserve forces and can be retrieved using serial numbers registered to each piece. “The army has always managed its weapons according to clear protocols,” he said.

Major General Mujahid Ibrahim added that Sudan’s porous borders, particularly in the west, have made it easier for arms to enter the country unchecked, exacerbating the crisis. Still, military officials say weapons loaned to civilians can be recovered thanks to detailed logs and unique identifiers.

Yet, as al-Dabbah and Omdurman reel from fresh bouts of violence, the gap between official reassurance and on-the-ground chaos continues to widen. With Sudan’s civil war showing no sign of abating, the unchecked spread of guns threatens to tear apart what remains of the country’s fragile social fabric.