Equality Center Links Lecturer's Arrest to Anti-Arab Incitement

The Equality Center has stated that the indictment of a lecturer accused of planning an attack against Arab civilians demonstrates that incitement against the Arab community has become acceptable discourse. The center issued a statement asserting that when politicians incite hatred, portray an entire community as an enemy, and provide cover for racism and violence, they sow the seeds for future massacres.

The statement further argued that the selective enforcement of anti-incitement laws against Arab citizens and leaders, while failing to seriously address incitement by Jewish individuals, has led to daily racist attacks. The center emphasized that even planned or executed acts by individuals cannot be separated from the prevailing atmosphere of hatred, exclusion, and delegitimization of the Arab community and its citizens.

The Equality Center warned that serious suspicions should trigger all warning signals, especially in the volatile pre- and post-election periods. It called on law enforcement authorities to treat threats and violence against the Arab public with utmost seriousness, while also confronting incitement originating from within the political system forcefully. The center concluded by warning that future massacres, similar to those committed by Baruch Goldstein, Ami Popper, and Yishai Shlissel, are a matter of time if these issues are not addressed.