WarSclerotic

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted with outrage on Wednesday after learning of a call by Democratic Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy and 10 members of the House of Representatives for the Obama administration to investigate claims that Israeli and Egyptian security forces have committed “gross violations of human rights.”

In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry in February, the lawmakers listed a number of examples of supposed human rights violations, including reports of extrajudicial killings by Israeli and Egyptian security forces.

“In light of these reports we request that you act promptly to determine their credibility and whether they trigger the Leahy Law and, if so, take appropriate action called for under the law,” the letter said. The Leahy Law prohibits the U.S. from providing military aid to foreign military units that violate human rights with impunity.

The letter was first reported on by Politico on Tuesday.

In a statement on Wednesday, Netanyahu said, “The IDF and the Israel Police do not engage in executions. Israel’s soldiers and police officers defend themselves and innocent civilians with the highest moral standards against bloodthirsty terrorists who come to murder them.

“Where is the concern for the human rights of the many Israelis who’ve been murdered and maimed by these savage terrorists?

“This letter should have been addressed instead to those who incite youngsters to commit cruel acts of terrorism.”

Kulanu MK and former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren called the Leahy letter a “travesty.”

“Israel has thoroughly investigated all the cases cited in the letter and has found them baseless,” Oren said. “I call on the Democratic Party and its presidential candidates to publicly and unconditionally disavow this libel.”

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid sent a letter to Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid in which he called on Reid to condemn the Leahy letter. “When Israel is under attack, we expect our friends to stand by us,” Lapid wrote.