Israeli minister sparks backlash after saying Belgium should worry more about terror and less about eating chocolate
- Yisrael Katz lashed out at Belgium's leaders for 'parading as great liberals'
- He said they spend too much time 'eating chocolate' and 'enjoying life'
- Katz is the second Israeli cabinet MP to accuse them of ignoring jihadism
- The hawkish minister's comments sparked fury among Israel's opposition
Israel's intelligence minister Yisrael Katz (pictured left next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) sparked fury by suggesting Belgian leaders should spend less time eating chocolate and more dealing with radicalism
Israel's intelligence minister has sparked fury for saying Belgium should worry more less about eating chocolate and more about its homegrown radicals.
Accusing it of laxity over the threat of extremist Muslims, MP Yisrael Katz lashed out at the country's leaders who he claims 'parade' themselves as 'great liberals'.
He is now the second Israel minister from Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Lukid to accuse the country of taking too soft an approach towards the problem.
Katz is known for his hawkish position on the wave of violence that has rocked Israel and the Palestinian territories since October, calling for the families of Palestinians implicated in attacks to be sent to Hamas-ruled Gaza as a deterrent.
Told he told Israeli public radio: 'If in Belgium they continue to eat chocolate, enjoy life and parade as great liberals and democrats while not taking account of the fact that some of the Muslims who are there are organising acts of terror, they will not be able to fight against them'.
He charged that not only European leaders but also U.S. President Barack Obama had undermined the battle against jihadist violence with their unwillingness to define it as 'Islamic terrorism'.
'When you don't define your enemy, you can't lead a worldwide campaign.'
Katz, who is widely seen as Netanyahu's principal rival within the party, is also the country's transport minister.
However, his comments sparked a sharp rebuke from the Israeli opposition, the Times of Israel reported.
MK Shelley Yachimovich sarcastically wrote on Twitter: 'The government has devised a system to eradicate terrorism: Stop eating chocolate.'
Yesterday another Likud member - Science, Technology and Space Minister Ofir Akunis - lashed out at Europe after the Brussels bombings, accusing it of ignoring the danger of 'Islamic terror cells' and focusing on criticising Israel instead.
'Many in Europe have preferred to occupy themselves with the folly of condemning Israel, labelling products, and boycotts,' Akunis said on his Facebook page.
'In this time, underneath the nose of the continent's citizens, thousands of extremist Islamic terror cells have grown.'
Those comments drew a rebuke from Israeli opposition leader Isaac Herzog, who accused Akunis - a Netanyahu ally - of 'miserable cynicism'.
The Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, where Abdeslam was arrested last week (pictured) is considered the cradle of European jihadism
It was in Molenbeek that several members of the ISIS cell responsible for the Brussels and Paris attacks hid for many months. Pictured is a suspect being arrested during raids on the district last week
Paris attackers Salah Abdeslam (left) and Abdelhamid Abaaoud (right) were friends as children and both grew up in the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek
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