Israeli President Isaac Herzog issued a rare and powerful statement condemning a wave of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. He called the attacks “shocking and serious” and urged authorities to act quickly to stop them.
The statement came after masked Israeli settlers raided the Palestinian villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf on Tuesday night. Witnesses reported that the settlers set cars on fire, smashed property, and torched four trucks belonging to the al-Juneidi dairy factory, one of the area’s largest employers. Four Palestinians suffered injuries, and several Israeli soldiers were attacked when they tried to intervene.
The Israeli military confirmed that they arrested four settlers — a rare action in such cases. Major General Avi Bluth, Israel’s top commander in the West Bank, called the attacks “unacceptable” and admitted that it was “only by luck” that no one was killed.
Violence on the Rise
The United Nations reports that settler violence has surged since the Gaza war began two years ago. Settlers or Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and October alone saw over 260 attacks, the highest monthly total since records began in 2006.
Human rights organizations and the UN warn that settlers carry out these attacks in a “permissive environment”, often supported by far-right government figures such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, both of whom openly back the expansion of Jewish settlements.
Impunity and Fear
Rights groups say authorities investigate settler violence only rarely and almost never bring charges. This lack of accountability has allowed the problem to grow worse.
Videos of settlers attacking Palestinians have gone viral and drawn international outrage. One widely shared clip showed a woman knocked unconscious during an assault.
“We live in constant fear,” said a resident of Beit Lid. “Every night, we wonder if they’ll come again.”
President Herzog’s remarks mark a rare acknowledgment by Israel’s leadership. Whether his words will translate into real action, however, remains uncertain.
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