Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev (Labor) is under fire after revealing that he spoke with US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland about the “problem of settler violence against Palestinians.”

Writing on Twitter about his meeting with Nutland, Bar-Lev wrote that she ““took an interest in, among other things, settler violence and how to lower regional tensions and strengthen the Palestinian Authority.”

Bar-Lev’s coalition partner, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked quickly responded: “You’re confused…the violence that we must be shocked by are the dozens of incidents of stone-throwing and the hurling of Molotov cocktails at Jews that happen every day just because they are Jews – and all this is with the encouragement of the Palestinian Authority. I recommend that you speak about this violence with Nuland.”

Religious Zionist party chairman Betzalel Smotrich fired back at Shaked: “You’re the one that’s confused. You turned this contemptible man from the marginal left into a senior minister. You’re to blame for his statements and especially his dangerous actions. Don’t try to clear your conscience with embarrassing tweets.”

Smotrich spared no words in slamming Bar-Lev: “You’re simply despicable. Hundreds of thousands of heroic settlers suffer terrorism daily and pay a heavy price in blood and you spill their blood with contempt and participate in a false and anti-Semitic campaign that slanders them – in order to appear enlightened and please a bunch of hypocrites. Shame on you, you lowly man.”

Below, Shas MK Moshe Arbel can be seen reading a list of the Arab acts of violence in Yehudah and Shomron that occurred on Monday alone and slamming Shaked for enabling Bar-Lev to become a minister by forming a government with left-wing parties. “A sitting government minister shamefully accepts the world’s slander against Israel,” Arbel said. Addressing Shaked directly, he said: “This is thanks to your vote and you can’t say that you’re not responsible for this. Shame on you!”

"יושב שר בממשלה, בחרפה, מוציא את דיבתה של ישראל רעה בעולם" – ח"כ משה ארבל תוקף את הציוץ של @omerbarlev על תוכן הפגישה שקיים עם תת מזכירת המדינה של ארה"ב. בנוסף, ציין הח"כ מש"ס את אירועי האלימות שהתרחשו היום כלפי יהודים באיו"ש@Ayelet__Shaked @HavodaParty @nati_hatar pic.twitter.com/vlkhkdSyDg

— ערוץ כנסת (@KnessetT) December 13, 2021

“Arabs murdered almost 120 Arabs in Israel in the past year,” the director of the Im Tirtzu organization said in a statement. “In between, they shot, stabbed, stoned, and beat Jews. But for the founder of Peace Now, who is currently the Public Security Minister, it is more important to join hands with foreign governments and support the delegitimization of Jewish settlers. Unbelievable. Just grab your head in your hands in disbelief.”

“It’s sad to see the minister in charge of the security of the citizens of Israel choose to be the spokesperson of the Palestinian Authority and the EU as part of its campaign for the defamation of settlers,” the Ad Kan organization stated.

“Data released by the police, overseen by Bar-Lev, proves that Palestinian violence is tens of times greater than any incident of Jewish violence against Arabs… instead of taking care of the problems in the Arab sector of illegal weapons, extortion and violence, he chooses to disparage a huge Zionist sector that greatly contributes to the state in order to avoid discussing his failures.”

“If it wasn’t for the fact that I know him, I would have been sure he’s the public security minister for Abbas and the PA,” Likud MK Keti Shitrit stated. “The ‘galus mentality’ and weakness of these people is simply unbelievable.”

In his role as Public Security Minister, Bar-Lev oversees Israel Police, including the unprecedented operation it is currently carrying out against Arab crime, murder and violence, and he is well aware how disproportionately low any “Jewish” violence is in comparison to Arab violence. “Settler violence” is no different, with the Shin Bet estimating that there are 50-70 violent “settler youths” out of a half of million “settlers.”

— סיכום 13/12/21 —
** אירועי טרור והסתה כנגד תושבי יהודה ושומרון:** pic.twitter.com/xkYL5fJHlu

— Yair (@yairtwi) December 14, 2021

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)