National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir pushed back forcefully against criticism from Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas over the government’s demolition of illegally built homes in the Negev, declaring that the law will be enforced equally against anyone who violates building regulations.

In a video message released Wednesday, Ben Gvir rejected accusations that the demolitions are motivated by discrimination.

“Racism is a lie. Listen carefully, and tell all your friends: anyone who builds illegally-their house will be demolished.”

Ben Gvir’s remarks came in response to a speech Abbas delivered in Arabic from the Knesset podium on Tuesday, in which the Ra’am leader argued that the coalition’s only real accomplishment has been maintaining unity among its members long enough to complete its term in office.

Abbas sharply criticized the current right-wing government, saying its record has been marked by “failure, crimes, murder, demolitions, and wars.” He contrasted that with the previous “government of change,” in which Ra’am served as a coalition partner and, according to Abbas, played a significant role in addressing the needs of Israel’s Arab community.

The Ra’am chairman also claimed that violent crime in Arab society declined by 15 percent during the previous government’s first year. He argued that if that coalition had remained in power for a full four-year term, the number of homicide victims could have fallen to “only forty deaths, or even fewer.”

Turning to the issue of housing enforcement, Abbas asserted that only four occupied homes in the Negev were demolished during the previous government. By contrast, he claimed that Ben Gvir has proudly cited approximately 5,700 demolition operations carried out over the past year.

Abbas also took aim at Hadash and Ta’al, the factions that make up the Joint List, accusing them of failing to shoulder responsibility when opportunities arose.

“Our colleagues from the Joint List did not understand the responsibility that rested on them,” Abbas said, arguing that Ra’am had been willing to accept the political consequences of joining the coalition. He questioned what the public ultimately gained from the collapse of the previous government and what it has lost under the continued tenure of the current coalition.

{Matzav.com}