Israeli leaders condemn Qusra settler violence as opposition turns fire on Netanyahu
Netanyahu calls for rioters to be arrested as Herzog denounces a ‘red line’; Eisenkot and Bennett blame government for failing to rein in violence
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot and former prime minister Naftali Bennett on Saturday condemned violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank villages of Qusra and Jalud.
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IDF and Border Police forces were dispatched to Qusra after reports of Israeli rioters throwing stones at Palestinians and other civilians. The military said troops found dozens of rioters barricaded inside a Palestinian home while Palestinian residents were still inside. Palestinians were reported injured, including a woman evacuated by the Red Crescent for treatment. Security forces removed the rioters and confiscated three vehicles suspected of having been used to reach the village.
Netanyahu condemned what he called “criminal acts of violence” by a “handful of rioters,” saying they hindered the IDF in carrying out its missions and damaged Israel’s international standing. He called on law enforcement agencies to arrest those responsible and bring them to justice as soon as possible.
Herzog called the violence “a crossing of a red line” by lawbreakers acting contrary to Israel’s laws and values, describing it as part of a series of incidents that constituted “a stain on Israel.” He called on the government, security agencies, judiciary and law enforcement authorities to act together to “root out” the phenomenon and prosecute those responsible.
Eisenkot said the growing “anarchy” of a violent minority in the West Bank and the authorities’ loss of control amounted to a “security, leadership, diplomatic and moral disgrace.” He blamed the violence on Netanyahu and his coalition partners, accusing the government of knowingly sacrificing Israel’s national interest out of “embarrassing and dangerous political weakness.”
Bennett said Netanyahu’s “weekly condemnation” of the violence in Qusra showed “how powerless he is in the face of Ben Gvir.” He said the rioters did not represent the settlement movement and were harming it, adding that their actions endangered IDF soldiers, “destroy the remnants of Israel’s good name” and ran contrary to “every Jewish value.”
The IDF also condemned “all forms of violence” and said troops and Border Police remained deployed around Qusra and neighboring Jalud to prevent further disturbances and restore order.