An official Palestinian report has shown that settlers’ crimes against Palestinians were the most severe this year, recording 256 attacks, including 50 carried out by terrorist “price-tag” gangs.
According to the report by the Palestinian Liberation Organization's National Office for the Defense of Land and Resistance of Settlement, the attacks were accompanied by statements and positions by the occupation leaders and government officials.
These have given settlers a “green light” to carry out more attacks against the Palestinians, the report noted, adding that the settlers’ leaders failure to condemn these attacks has “encouraged their escalation.”
The report also pointed to fears of increased attacks by settlers, especially the terrorist “price-tag” gangs, as Palestinian property is being destroyed and racist slogans are written on the walls.
All this recalls the period that prevailed prior to burning of the Dawabsheh family in the West Bank village of Duma in 2015, in which three members of the family were killed.
The report said that the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem) indicates that most of the perpetrators of these attacks are punished by the Israeli courts, which means an implicit approval by the Israeli army on those attacks.
The report also indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged again during his visit to Mitzpe Yericho settlement and before a number of his ministers, settlement leaders and religious students to impose sovereignty over the entire Jordan Valley region, with “unlimited” US support.
“The first thing we will do is to apply our sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and also in settlements, and we will do so with US recognition. We are strengthening the State of Israel and ensuring its future,” he said.
The report pointed out that Israel's Defense Minister Naftali Bennett also provides great support for settlers.
After issuing orders to establish a new settlement in Hebron, he instructed the army to stop what he described as “Palestinian-European control” over Area C, which constitutes 60 percent of the West Bank, and prevent construction there.
Bennett ordered the army leadership to tighten cooperation to implement the plan and take steps to reduce the broad European funding for Palestinian construction.
He stressed that unless the area is neutralized, the occupation army cannot control the situation there.
