Erdan Calls for Int'l Conference to Fight Incitement

Jerusalem, 20 February, 2017 (TPS) -- Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Monday that his office will host an international conference of homeland, police and domestic security officials  to devise common solutions to the challenge of terror and incitement.

Speaking in Jerusalem to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Erdan said that not a week goes by without ministers from other democracies reaching out to learn from Israel’s experience in fighting terror.

“The world is finally learning that [radical Islamic] ideology targets everybody. Last week Austrian and British parliamentarians visited Israel – they want learn from us, and to benefit from Israel’s experience. One member of the Austrian delegation even said that collaboration with Israel is ‘vital to his country’s security’”.

Erdan said that Israeli police and security forces are working day and night to infiltrate terror cells, but added that online incitement has become an important part of anti-terror efforts.

“We are not being complacent. We have ramped up our ability to monitor social media, using cyber technologies to pre-empt terror attacks,” he added.

The minister noted his efforts to build a strong multicultural policing model for Israel and cited a Hebrew-language report Sunday indicating that 72 percent of Israel’s Arab citizens report that they now trust Israel police.

“We are recruiting minorities into the police force and working together with minority communities [to improve police service].

“It’s a message that police in America can learn from,” Erdan said.