JERUSALEM: Israeli security chiefs declared settler attacks on Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank as “nationalist terrorism” on Saturday, leading to intensified countermeasures. However, their remarks drew criticism from far-right cabinet ministers who opposed the classification.
The past week witnessed a surge of violence in the West Bank, with scores of Israeli settlers rampaging through Palestinian towns and villages, prompting widespread international condemnation and concern, including from the White House.
On Saturday, residents reported that settlers had set fire to at least two homes in the Palestinian village of Umm Safa near Ramallah. The Israeli military confirmed the arrest of at least one Israeli suspect in connection with the incident.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant condemned the attack, and in a joint statement, the heads of Israel’s military, police, and domestic security service described the actions of the settlers as “nationalist terrorism.” They vowed to combat such violence by increasing military presence in the area and enhancing arrests, including resorting to “administrative detention,” a practice strongly criticized by human rights organizations, where suspects can be held without charge.
However, the statement faced sharp rebuke from two members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s nationalist-religious government. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the attempt to equate settler actions with Arab terrorism, stating that it was immoral and dangerous. He called for increased efforts against Palestinian attacks while urging settlers to refrain from taking matters into their own hands. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has previously faced convictions for supporting terrorism and inciting against Arabs, echoed Smotrich’s sentiments.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan expressed concerns about settler attacks on Palestinian villages during a phone call with his Israeli counterpart on Friday. This came just hours after Ben-Gvir called for an expansion of settler presence across the West Bank.
The recent assaults by settlers followed intense gun battles in Jenin, resulting in the death of seven Palestinians, as well as a Palestinian shooting attack that claimed the lives of four Israelis. An Israeli airstrike against militants in the area further escalated tensions.
Earlier on Saturday, a Palestinian militant opened fire at an Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank, injuring a security guard. Israeli police reported that the Palestinian gunman was subsequently shot dead by security forces at the scene. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed group associated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, claimed responsibility for the attack.
US-brokered peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel, which aimed to establish a Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, collapsed in 2014 and have shown no signs of revival. The settlements constructed by Israel on land seized during the 1967 war are considered illegal by most countries, a view disputed by Israel.
