Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the run-over in Gush Etzion is a result of incitement by Yair Golan and his allies on the left, according to a report in ynet.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich escalated his response to Friday's run-over in Gush Etzion, specifically blaming opposition leader Yair Golan for incitement that he says led to the attack. The statement, reported by ynet, came shortly after the incident unfolded. It follows Smotrich's earlier condemnation of left-wing incitement, which The Zioneer reported at 14:31 Jerusalem.
The incident began around 14:31 Jerusalem, when initial reports described a suspected far-left activist deliberately ramming Jewish farmers at a farm in Gush Etzion, lightly injuring a woman. Police later said the incident was criminal, not a security attack. The suspect was identified as a 90-year-old far-left activist with a prior history of attempting to run over soldiers. Further reports named him as a known left-wing activist who had previously harassed soldiers at Evyatar. The victim, the farm owner, was hospitalized. Smotrich's initial response at 14:31 blamed left-wing incitement generally; his latest statement singles out Golan.
As The Zioneer reported at 14:31, Smotrich had called on the president to condemn the violence and on Golan, former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot, and former prime minister Naftali Bennett to retract their statements about evacuating the farms after the elections. The Zioneer has also noted the suspect's far-left activism and previous run-in with authorities.
It is not yet known whether Golan or other figures named by Smotrich have responded. The suspect's legal proceedings are ongoing. The condition of the hospitalized victim has not been updated.
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