Former Israeli security officials condemn settler violence against Palestinians in West Bank
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A group of former Israeli generals and senior security officials has spoken out against settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, with some describing the attacks as “Jewish terrorism” and “ethnic cleansing”.
The former officials have accused the Israeli government and security forces of supporting the violence or failing to do enough to stop it, according to The New York Times.
Maj. Gen. Eyal Ben-Reuven, a former Israeli army commander, said his assessment of the biggest threat facing Israel had changed after visiting Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During a recent visit, he saw the remains of a Palestinian school that had been looted by settlers and met farmers and shepherds who said they had been beaten and threatened.
“This, what the settlers are doing here, is the real threat to Israel. This is more concerning to me than Iran, Gaza or Lebanon,” he said.
More than 200 prominent Israelis signed a letter in June urging the government to stop attacks on Palestinian civilians. The signatories included two former prime ministers, more than 30 retired Army and Air Force generals, former heads of Israel’s foreign and domestic intelligence agencies, senior lawyers, diplomats, rabbis and a Nobel laureate.
The group alleged that the military, Shin Bet and police have at times been involved in attacks or failed to prevent them. It also demanded details of public money spent on roads, water, electricity, vehicles and weapons supporting settlements.
The Israeli military rejected claims that it supports violent settlers, saying soldiers are ordered to protect all residents and that those who participate in attacks or fail to stop them violate their orders.
Some of the retired officials now criticising settler violence previously took part in Israeli military operations against Palestinians. They argue those operations were conducted under orders and within a legal chain of command.
“If I had to, I could make a legal defense of what the Israel Defense Forces have done in Gaza. But what is happening today in the West Bank? It’s indefensible,” said Gal Levertov, former head of the international division at Israel’s Ministry of Justice.
More than 3,200 Palestinians have been displaced by settler attacks in 2026 alone, according to the figures cited. More than 1,100 Palestinians, including combatants, have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023, according to the UN, with most killed by Israeli forces.