Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday lambasted Vice Premier Moshe Ya'alon, who told a closed-door meeting of far-right activists last week that he was "not afraid of the Americans" and that anti-settlement groups like Peace Now were "viruses" to Israel.
The statements, referring to the United States' role in the Middle East peace progress and its demand Israel halt settlement activity, came to light after video footage taken by a cellular phone was leaked to Channel 2.
Netanyahu summoned Ya'alon for clarification immediately following publication, and slammed his vice premier's comments as as "neither acceptable in meaning or in approach."
"[Ya'alon's comments] do not represent the stance of the [Israeli] government," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.
At a forum last week chaired by Moshe Feiglin, head of the far-right Jewish Leadership Party, a delegate asked Ya'alon: "Why should we be afraid of the Americans?"
Ya'alon, who is a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff and also serves as minister of strategic affairs, told the crowd: "I am not afraid of the Americans" adding, "there are moments where we must say "we've had it up to here'".
Ya'alon also referred to the Israeli anti-settlement organization Peace Now and the so-called Israeli elites as "viruses... causing grave damage to the state of Israel."
The vice premier also warned delegates that the Israeli media "has enough power that if they want, they can influence the prime minister".
When asked what he planned to do to prevent the evacuation of the unauthorized Bnei Adam outpost in the West Bank, Ya'alon responded "in my opinion, Jews can and must be in every corner of the Land of Israel".
Ya'alon made a reference to his years as the top Israel Defense Forces officer, saying "when I was chief of staff, I told several closed forums that any time politicians bring forth the dove of peace, its up to the army to clean up after them".
The far-right Feiglin who failed in his bid to win a spot on the Likud Knesset list in the past elections, told Ya'alon "God willing, we will be able to do great things together".
During a tour of the northern West Bank on Wednesday, Ya'alon urged Israel to consider resettling the settlement of Homesh - evacuated during the 2005 disengagement - calling it a strategic asset in the face of Palestinian terrorism.
The minister then termed the area "significant territory," adding that the disengagement from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank in 2005 gave "tailwind to the Islamic jihadism."
Ya'alon is one of Netanyahu's two vice premiers, along with Likud Minister Silvan Shalom.
Likud distances itself from Ya'alon
Peace Now General Secretary Yariv Oppenheimer on Wednesday responded to Ya'alon's statements calling them "dangerous" and adding that "they mark Peace Now as a target".
Senior Likud officials called Ya'alon's comments "a downright shame" that represented "a bizarre alliance between a group of anti-Zionists who support draft dodging and the refusal to follow orders and a former IDF chief of staff."
The officials called on Ya'alon to apologize for remarks and said that his "race to the extreme right will not strengthen his position in the Likud, no matter what he thinks".
Defense Minister Ehud Barak responded to the comments by saying: "Peace Now is an important part of the peace camp and an integral part of the democratic dialogue in Israeli society."
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