The president of Israel on Wednesday condemned what he called a "shocking and serious" attack by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, calling for an end to a growing wave of settler violence in the occupied territory.
President Isaac Herzog's comments added a rare and powerful voice to what has been muted criticism by top Israeli officials of the settler violence. Herzog's position, while largely ceremonial, is meant to serve as a moral compass and unifying force for the country.
Herzog said the violence committed by a "handful" of perpetrators "crosses a red line," adding in a social media post that "all state authorities must act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon."
His remarks came after dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf in the West Bank on Tuesday, setting fire to vehicles and other property before clashing with Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli army's chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, echoed Herzog, saying the military "will not tolerate the phenomena of a minority of criminals who tarnish a law-abiding public."
He said the army is committed to stopping violent acts committed by settlers, which he described as contrary to Israeli values and that "divert the attention of our forces from fulfilling their mission."
The chief of the military's Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, said responding to an "anarchist fringe" requires the use of significant resources that could otherwise be focused on bolstering security and conducting counterterrorism operations.
The army said the settlers who attacked the villages fled to a nearby industrial zone and attacked soldiers responding to the violence, damaging a military vehicle. Police said four Israelis were arrested, while the military said four Palestinians were wounded.
On Wednesday, police said three of the suspects were released and that one, a minor arrested on suspicion of arson and assault, will remain in custody for six more days, as ordered by a judge. Police said the actions of the three who were released are still under investigation "with the goal of bringing offenders to justice, regardless of their background."
Settler violence has surged
Tuesday's violence in the West Bank was the latest in a series of attacks by young settlers that have surged since the war in Gaza erupted two years ago. The attacks have intensified in recent weeks as Palestinians harvest their olive trees in an annual ritual.
The UN humanitarian office last week reported more Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank in October than in any other month since it began keeping track in 2006. There were over 260 attacks, the office said.
Palestinians and human rights workers accuse the Israeli army and police of failing to halt attacks by settlers. Israel’s government is dominated by far-right proponents of the settler movement including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who formulates settlement policy, and Cabinet minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the nation's police force.
Muayyad Shaaban, who heads an office in the Palestinian Authority that is tracking the violence, said the settlers set fire to four dairy trucks, farmland, tin shacks and tents belonging to a Bedouin community.
He said the attacks were part of a campaign to drive Palestinians from their land and accused Israel of giving the settlers protection and immunity. He called for sanctions against groups that "sponsor and support the colonial settlement terrorism project."
Palestinians react angrily
In Beit Lid, residents said they don't want their lives ruled by fear of settler violence.
Mahmoud Edeis said the violence is undermining his family's right to live in safety.
"To feel that my children are safe, that when I go to sleep I can say, ‘Okay, there’s nothing (to worry about),’" he said. "But at any moment something could happen ... This can’t go on. It can’t be that we keep living our whole lives in a state of fear and danger."
Amjad Amer Al-Juneidi, who works at a dairy factory that was attacked Tuesday, said the "fully organized" attack saw one person carrying gasoline-filled cans, another prying open the factory door with a crowbar and a third individual igniting the fuel.
"Their entry into the company wasn’t random. It was organized, and they had a fully organized tactic for how to carry out the burning," Al-Juneidi said.
