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Former PM Barak Apologizes Over Death of 12 Israeli Arabs in October 2000 Protests
Barak Apologizes Over Death of 12 Israeli Arabs in October 2000 Protests
`I believe I can be part of the solution,` said Barak, who was prime
minister when the deadly demonstrations took place

Jack Khoury SendSend me email alerts
Jul 23, 2019 1:52 PM
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Ehud Barak speaks in Ariel, West Bank, July 16, 2019.
Ehud Barak speaks in Ariel, West Bank, July 16, 2019.Nir Keidar
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Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak apologized on Tuesday for the killing of 12
Israeli Arabs by security forces in October 2000, during a wave of protests
that began following a controversial visit by then-opposition leader Ariel
Sharon to the Temple Mount.

12 Israeli citiznes and a Palestinian were killed by Israeli forces in
clashes across Israel and the West Bank in the weeks following Sharon`s
visit, seen as an assertion of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem`s holy
sites.

`I take responsibility for what happened during my tenure as prime minister,
including the October 2000 events, when Israeli Arab citizens and a
Palestinian from Gaza were killed` Barak told Israel Public Radio. `There is
no place for protesters to be killed by security and police forces of the
State of Israel, their state. I express my regret and apology before the
families [of those killed] and before the Arab community.`


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The deadly clashes, which took place in the early days of the second
intifada, have been a major point of strife between Barak and the Israeli
Arab public. Meretz lawmaker Esawi Freige, who is Arab, rejected earlier
this month calls to join forces with Barak`s Democratic Israel party ahead
of the September 17 election, citing his role in and reaction to the October
2000 incidents.

Earlier on Tuesday, an opinion piece by Freige was published in Haaretz in
Hebrew, urging Barak to apologize and take responsibility for the deaths, if
he wishes `to be part of the solution for our future.`


Barak echoed Freige`s piece, saying it was written `from a place of pain.`
He added that he `took responsibility and apologized before... Things like
that should never happen, not then and not today. I am not evading
responsibility, but I believe I can be part of the solution and am truly
committed to change.`

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After Labor Party leader Amir Peretz announced last week a joint run with
Gesher`s Orli Levi-Abekasis, he stressed that his party wouldn`t join forces
with any other political parties ahead of the September ballot. This has led
to growing calls for a joint Democratic Israel-Meretz run.

Freige called Barak`s remarks `a good start,` saying the former prime
minister, who since his return to politics in June has urged left-wing
parties to run on a joint ticket, `opened the door for dialogue with the
Arab community, and it is our responsibility to help him open that door and
not slam it in his face.`


`Now it is on us to do everything we can to form a strong center-left bloc,`
Freige added, in a major shift of rhetoric by a politician who only two
weeks ago called for Barak to withdraw his Knesset nomination and `go back
to your luxury apartment building.`

Arab lawmaker Yousef Jabareen of Hadash-Ta`al said that `the events of
October 2000 are a wound on the body of Arab society that is still
bleeding.`

Jabareen added that they reflect a `racist, hostile and violent attitude
toward the Arab population` that has intensified in recent years with the
passage of the nation-state law and punishment on unorganized construction
in Arab society.

`This `electoral apology` of Barak, weeks before the election, will not
change the fact that he is standing at the top of the pyramid that oppressed
and continues to oppress the Arab citizens, and for many years he had been
evading responsibility and a frank apology. We are still demanding that
those responsible be brought to justice for the crimes of October 2000,
including Ehud Barak himself,` Jabareen added.

Hadash-Ta`al MK Ofer Cassif welcomed Barak`s apology. `The matter stands out
against the background of the State of Israel`s systematic attempt to
whitewash the crimes of the Nakba [the displacement of Palestinians during
the 1948 War of Independence], and the false statements of the army
spokesman and the police regarding harm inflicted on Palestinians day in and
day out,` Cassif said.



Cassif called for further action saying: `This is the time to recognize the
injustices and to push for a policy of full civil and national equality, and
two states, side by side in peace and security, Israel and Palestine.`

Jack Khoury
Jack Khoury

Haaretz Correspondent
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