Posted on 08/06/23
| News Source: JPost
“My policy is clear. Whoever defends himself against stone-throwing should be rewarded by the IDF,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Sunday in the wake of an incident in the Palestinian village of Burka, near Ramallah, that resulted in the shooting death of a 19-year-old Palestinian man named Kosai Matan at the hands of an Israeli living in Oz Zion.
Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said that “Break a man's head, hit him in the head. So he doesn't have to shoot and defend himself? Where's the question mark? We're in the Europe of the 1930s when a Jew walks by and gets beaten and has to keep quiet? I don't know what was there."
Aside from Ben-Gvir and Eliyahu, comments from coalition members were absent on Sunday. The shooting occurred after a group of Israelis entered and a confrontation began. As a result, shots were fired and Matan was killed.
One of the arrested Israelis is Elisha Yered, a 22-year-old who previously served as the spokesperson for Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Malech, who last week backed up statements from Likud MK Avichay Buaron, who on Tuesday accused Maj.-Gen. Yehuda Fuchs of valuing Palestinians over Israelis.
Son Har-Melech said on Wednesday on Kol Berama radio, “I unequivocally back the comments by Buaron.” She also pointed her finger at Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, saying that “he knowingly endangers the lives of the residents of Judea and Samaria,” and ostensibly calling for his removal. “I would prefer a different defense minister.”