Outgoing Israeli General Condemns Settler Violence in Occupied West Bank
A rare and candid public statement has condemned the rising wave of violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. In a rare, blunt public rebuke, an outgoing Israeli general speaks of the spiraling violence carried out by settlers in the occupied West Bank, reflecting both an intensifying internal fight for Israel vis-à-vis the treatment of Palestinians and settling actions that come with high stakes domestically and internationally.
The general, a high-ranking officer in the Israel Defense Forces, did not waste his chance to speak candidly on the rising tide of violence as he bid farewell to his post. He assessed that such attacks by settlers against Palestinians, in so many words, are not only criminal activities; they have also done grave injury to the moral fabric of Israel and its position in the world. He has been rewarded with applause and condemnation, showing how polarized that issue is in Israeli society.
Growing Settler Violence
The case of settler violence in the West Bank has been constant and on the increase. These range from property damage or vandalism to actual assaults on the person, whether individual or collective, of Palestinians. Violence is often perpetrated, and security is usually the excuse used. Still, more often than not, these acts end up inflicting massive injuries on Palestinian civilians, which cements the cruelty of the occupation.
There is a rise of apprehension within the IDF about settler violence. The general highlighted how these actions undermine the rule of law and problematize the military’s role in the region. So often, the IDF is called upon to mediate between settlers and Palestinians, something for which the soldiers receive no training and with which they are always very uncomfortable. More to the point, this puts dual roles on the soldiers, placing a tremendous amount of strain on them and challenging the integrity and operational effectiveness of the military.
Such comments by the general have stirred up much debate within Israeli society and politics. Some political leaders and parts of the population supported the general, stating that settler violence is a phenomenon that must be controlled for the sake of democratic values in Israel and not to lose legitimacy, according to international perspectives. On the other hand, right-wing politicians and settler spokespeople brush it off as an attack against their way of life and security.
This provided a window into the larger struggle underway inside Israel on the question of democracy in light of occupation and settlement expansion. The general’s denunciation is a powerful voice joining the forces compelling change and greater accountability but also brilliantly spotlights deeper, seeded fractures in Israeli society.
His condemnation of settler violence in the occupied West Bank is a vast and almost courageous gesture against this status-quo situation. In this regard, it does give a face to the grave human rights issues for which Palestinians bear the brunt and to the moral and ethical dilemma within Israel due to occupation. It is a call to action to the Israeli society, the IDF, and the international community to take measures aimed at preventing and quelling acts of violence that continue threatening peace and justice in this region.
