Israel is in the middle of fighting an intense and potentially region-changing war against Iran and Hezbollah, and all military, security, and home front priorities should be focused on the tremendously complex issues related to the conflict.
That’s why the ongoing lawlessness being perpetrated by a small minority of Jewish residents of the West Bank is doubly infuriating. One, that it’s taking place at all, and two, that it’s taking place while the rest of the country is either fighting the battle against the Iranian and Hezbollah foes or hunkering down amid the onslaught of missiles being launched indiscriminately at the citizens of Israel.
In the most recent incident, young Jews, suspected to be settlers, carried out over 20 attacks on Palestinian villages and towns in the West Bank on Saturday night. At least 11 Palestinians were injured during the widespread attacks, and dozens of vehicles and buildings were set on fire, according to a report in The Jerusalem Post.
And it’s just the tip of the iceberg. These unpatriotic and criminal acts by self-declared vigilantes are an abomination and the antithesis of what it means to be Jewish and Israeli.
What these attackers are doing is not just criminal; it is a threat to our national security. We cannot defeat our enemies abroad while a violent fringe undermines our legitimacy from within.
IDF chief of staff condemns 'morally, ethically unacceptable' violence
Last week, Israel’s IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir condemned the violence in the West Bank, calling it “morally and ethically unacceptable.” He noted that, “In recent months, there has been an increase in nationalist crime incidents, some of which are directed against our troops and toward civilian populations. During a multi-front war, the IDF faces the challenge of confronting a threatening minority from within. These are rioters who do not represent the greater population. In reality, they endanger residents, security, stability, and our values as a people and as a state. I call on all authorities in the country to act against this phenomenon and stop it before it is too late.”
Zamir and top IDF brass in the West Bank have called upon the government to reinstate administrative detention orders against Jewish residents of the territories, which were inexplicably canceled last year by Defense Minister Israel Katz, under pressure from ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, told Ynet in an interview on Wednesday that the settler violence and the government’s inability or refusal to deal with it are costing Israel friends in the US.
“There are people in Washington who are definitely distancing themselves from Israel because of this situation. We should not be providing ammunition to Democrats who are struggling to continue supporting us within their party. It’s as if those who want to support us – we ourselves are pushing them away,” he said.
That should be evident to the government. Even if they’re afraid to state that it’s morally wrong for fear of antagonizing coalition partners, they should realize the foreboding ramifications of continuing to allow these lawbreakers to run amok unfettered and undeterred.
Journalist Amit Segal reported on Wednesday that due to pressure from Washington, the government will approve the establishment of a unit in the Defense Ministry to deal with the hilltop youth at a budget of NIS 130 million.
At a heated cabinet debate, Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter demanded the return of administrative detentions and said, “Let’s call it what it is – this is terrorism.”
According to Segal, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar added: “There is no better public than the settler public, but the damage done by a violent few is immense.”
Although it appears that the government understands this issue in the West Bank needs to be addressed, a large budget without a decision to deploy the police and army to root out lawbreakers, and without condemnation and action from the settlement leadership, will do little to stem the tide.
As Leiter said, “Where are the rabbis of Yesha, and where are the heads of the regional councils of Yesha? Where is the Yesha Council? This issue needs to be a daily struggle. They are tarnishing not only the settlement enterprise, they are tarnishing the entire State of Israel. They are feeding the narrative of violent occupiers, and we must not remain silent. It is a small minority, I want to emphasize that, but the vast majority must speak out against it.”