Israeli PM blasts ‘shocking’ tape of wedding-goers feting Duma murders

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced a “shocking” video clip showing far-right extremists celebrating the killings of the Dawabsha family, joining dozens of other politicians and public figures coming out against the taped incident, the Times of Israel reported on Thursday.

Politicians from both sides of the political aisle strongly condemned the clip, aired by Channel 10, which shows revelers at the Jerusalem celebration waving knives, rifles, pistols and a Molotov cocktail during the wedding.

Amid the festivities, a photo of baby Ali Dawabsha, who was burned to death in the July 31 firebombing in the West Bank village of Duma, is shown being repeatedly stabbed.

“The shocking images broadcast tonight show the true face of a group that constitutes a threat to Israeli society and Israel’s security,” said Netanyahu. “We will not accept people who violate the state’s laws and do not see themselves as bound by them.”

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog termed the revelers “maniacs.”

“Lowlifes, you forgot what it is to be Jewish,” he said, referencing an infamous comment made by Netanyahu against leftist activists two decades ago. “You disgrace the kippah, the prayer shawl, and the name of God. Those who dance at a wedding and celebrate the death of a baby in his sleep are not Jews and not Israeli. They should be locked up as soon as possible.”

In a statement, the Joint List of Arab parties said the Israeli government and defense minister, “who let the settlers attack Palestinians without facing punishment, are the first ones to blame for this terror network.”

The party urged Israeli society to “wake up” and see that “the hatred and terror are the inevitable result of military control and occupation of a civilian population.”

The attack in Duma on July 31 killed three members of a Palestinian family. Only one member of the Dawabsha family — Ahmed, now 5 — survived the attack, and remains hospitalized in Israel. The 18-month-old baby Ali was killed on the night of the attack, while parents Riham and Saad succumbed to their injuries in the succeeding weeks.

Source: MENA