Does the ’Israeli’ Regime Consider Duma Arson a Terrorist Attack?

Local Editor

The "Israeli" regime's deputy war minister, Eli Ben-Dahan of the Zionist "Bayit Yehudi" party, refused to classify the deadly arson attack which claimed the lives of three Palestinians in the besieged West Bank village of Duma as an act of terrorism.

In an interview with "Israel" Radio on Friday, Ben-Dahan was asked point-blank by his host, Chico Menashe, whether he agreed with the near-consensus view among "Israel's" political class that the attack against the Dawabshe family, which authorities believe was committed by extreme right-wing Jewish operatives, constituted terrorism.

Ben-Dahan would only allow that the Duma attack "met certain criteria" that determines whether an act of violence is tantamount to terrorism.

In response, Yesh Atid MK Yaakov Peri - who once headed the "Israel" Security Agency ["Shin Bet"] - blasted Ben-Dahan, calling his stance "absolute insanity."

Peri's criticism prompted Ben-Dahan to post a response on his Facebook account in which he accused the former "Shin Bet" director of being "consumed with hatred toward "Bayit Yehudi"."

"He is disseminating this hatred in every direction and at every opportunity in an attempt to tar all of us with the stain of Duma," Ben-Dahan wrote.

Earlier this week, three settler leaders urged Netanyahu on Monday to investigate claims that the "Shin Bet" tortured the Duma arson suspects in its custody.

"You must immediately investigate the serious charges that minors have been tortured, which constitutes a grave violation of human rights," they said.

The settler leaders acknowledged that the Zionist entity was under growing international pressure to find the perpetrators of the July 2 incident in the occupied West Bank village of Duma in which suspected Jewish extremists firebombed a home in the middle of the night killing Sa'ad Dawabshe, 31, his wife, Reham, 27 and their 18-month-old son, Ali.

The Duma attack continues to be a main theme of "Israeli" entity's political discourse, particularly due to the recently leaked video of far-right extremists praising the arson while celebrating at a wedding in al-Quds [Jerusalem].

Police are investigating the actions of Jewish extremists who are seen in the video brandishing guns and knives while cheering the murder of the Dawabshe family in Duma and calling for more killings.

"Israeli" police said on Thursday that the investigation into the "many serious crimes" at that wedding had already been under way for a number of days, when a video from the wedding was aired on Channel 10.

An "Israeli" police spokesman added that police are working with the state prosecution on the investigation, which includes incitement to violence charges.

The minute-long footage showed settlers wearing white skullcaps and shirts, dancing while holding knives and guns.

One of the dancers stabbed a photograph of slain Palestinian toddler Ali Dawabshe. Another settler was held aloft as he clutched a firebomb in one hand and a knife in the other.

Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot instructed the Military Police to investigate the origin of the weapons seen in the video and whether any "Israeli" soldiers participated in the event.

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said the wedding video was not surprising to anyone who is familiar with "the dangerous and extreme types who act at the broad margins of the [Right]," but added that "this wild and dangerous mindset must be denounced and uprooted immediately."

Source: JP, Edited by website team