By ignoring the problem when it was small in scope, both the government and leaders of the settlement movement have allowed it to get totally out of control
I am distressed that support for Israel is collapsing in the US all across the political spectrum. These attacks are one reason. A lot of the criticism is completely unjustified, but this is different.
I have been trying to collect signatures to get my Congress Member, Ritchie Torres, on the Democratic primary ballot. He is a fabulous Congress Member and before then he was a fabulous City Council Member. And he is the single most outspoken supporter of Israel in the US Congress. .Never have I had any difficulty in getting signatures — until this year. More people are refusing to sign than willing. And they tell me point blank that it is because of Israel.
He may still win, because he has been doing successful fundraising, because he has divided opposition, because there isn’t a lot of opposition coming from the often fractious local Democratic organizations, and because at the moment there is no Republican candidate for the general election. But if in a heavily Democratic and heavily Jewish area I am getting such reactions, I worry about the rest of the country.
Respectfully, that's an unfair and unnecessary cop-out.
There is so much good in Israel if you just look around to see it, and as for the bad and the stupid, numerous regular people are doing what they can at all levels, to fight to make things better.
Thanks for responding. But the situation on the West Bank is far, far beyond "bad and stupid". It is violent, murderous (literally) and lawless. Even worse, it appears to have the support of a Neo-Kahanist government and police. In the old days, there was a concept in Israel of 'Tohar haNeshek' - "purity of arms' - which enjoined Israel only to bear and use arms when necessary for Defense (the "D" in IDF), and to do so with the highest regard for ethics. I agree that there is (still) an immense amount of good in Israel. But the Govt at the moment is severely straining the loyalty of many of its supporters, and the Wild West Bank is immensely disturbing - as I said, way, way beyond "bad and stupid".
While I agree with almost everything written in this post, I must take exception to one sentence:
"... lawless violence against the innocent, on the grounds that they are seen as being part of a larger enemy group."
How many of those "innocent" Arabs would stab you in the back if they could get away with it? Ask the victims of Oct 7 who had great relations with their Palestinian neighbours until they were murdered by them. I wish there was a way to really know who was innocent and who would be happy to kill you if they could, but there isn't. Four or so years ago we had a mini-riot in the North with Israeli Arabs (not Palestinians). People who were our neighbours were yelling "death to the Jews" as they drove by our yeshuv. I have more stories that can be told of our "wonderful" neighbours. Unfortunately, I have totally lost faith in them.
"How many of those "innocent" Arabs would stab you in the back if they could get away with it?" Nobody knows. Certainly some of them, and certainly not all of them. Which is why it is wrong to attack them.
Unfortunately settler violence on innocent arabs is the result of so many years of conflict and the messaniac fever of some of the settlers. Claims to Judea and Samaria should be based on security needs. In the messiah era, we will get our land. After so many years of conflict and especially after October 7, the anger unfortunately cannot be contained.
Glad to hear that something is being done by the IDF, and that some members of the Dati Leumi community are increasingly speaking out and taking action. But I also look forward to the day when this genuine problem is addressed more aggressively and universally within Dati Leumi circles, and when all branches of the Israeli government and state are working to suppress this moral stain unequivocally.
I do have two side points (that are not meant to detract from the urgency of policing our own side):
1) I completely agree that the problem is completely blown out of proportion by the media abroad, by people who actively try to suppress any impartial and complete reporting about the violence coming from the other side.
2) As someone who lives in the UK, I do not fully agree with this statement: "But on the other hand, the British government is making the right noises, the security forces will investigate, and if the culprits are found, they will be punished." The British authorities (police and judiciary) are not dealing with the problem appropriately (and the elite/BBC/Guardian complicity in this state of affairs is nicely encapsulated in the Shany Mor quote that you include).
Recent headlines covering this issue in the JC include the following:
I feel in need of education. How can I learn about how widespread settler violence has been and continues to be? I have believed that it is exaggerated and that the provocations are many before the reprisals- if indeed they are responses. Are they also initiatives?
Is the often repeated statement “this (might, violence) is the only language they understand” “the westerners delude themselves that the Arab islamists want compromise, etc. “ not accurate, flawed perception? The other argument I’ve heard is that the Israeli government comes down quicker and tougher on the Jews and also on their illegal construction than on their Arab counterparts. What and where is the truth? All comments to come are appreciated!
See this:
IDF diverts forces from Lebanon invasion to W. Bank to control Jewish violence against Palestinians
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-890949
By ignoring the problem when it was small in scope, both the government and leaders of the settlement movement have allowed it to get totally out of control
I think this is the bravest post you have ever written. We need to look inward as well as outward. Yeyasher Kochacho
I am distressed that support for Israel is collapsing in the US all across the political spectrum. These attacks are one reason. A lot of the criticism is completely unjustified, but this is different.
I have been trying to collect signatures to get my Congress Member, Ritchie Torres, on the Democratic primary ballot. He is a fabulous Congress Member and before then he was a fabulous City Council Member. And he is the single most outspoken supporter of Israel in the US Congress. .Never have I had any difficulty in getting signatures — until this year. More people are refusing to sign than willing. And they tell me point blank that it is because of Israel.
He may still win, because he has been doing successful fundraising, because he has divided opposition, because there isn’t a lot of opposition coming from the often fractious local Democratic organizations, and because at the moment there is no Republican candidate for the general election. But if in a heavily Democratic and heavily Jewish area I am getting such reactions, I worry about the rest of the country.
I look with total horror at what is happening on the West Bank, to the extent that it is shaking my faith in Israel altogether.
Respectfully, that's an unfair and unnecessary cop-out.
There is so much good in Israel if you just look around to see it, and as for the bad and the stupid, numerous regular people are doing what they can at all levels, to fight to make things better.
Thanks for responding. But the situation on the West Bank is far, far beyond "bad and stupid". It is violent, murderous (literally) and lawless. Even worse, it appears to have the support of a Neo-Kahanist government and police. In the old days, there was a concept in Israel of 'Tohar haNeshek' - "purity of arms' - which enjoined Israel only to bear and use arms when necessary for Defense (the "D" in IDF), and to do so with the highest regard for ethics. I agree that there is (still) an immense amount of good in Israel. But the Govt at the moment is severely straining the loyalty of many of its supporters, and the Wild West Bank is immensely disturbing - as I said, way, way beyond "bad and stupid".
While I agree with almost everything written in this post, I must take exception to one sentence:
"... lawless violence against the innocent, on the grounds that they are seen as being part of a larger enemy group."
How many of those "innocent" Arabs would stab you in the back if they could get away with it? Ask the victims of Oct 7 who had great relations with their Palestinian neighbours until they were murdered by them. I wish there was a way to really know who was innocent and who would be happy to kill you if they could, but there isn't. Four or so years ago we had a mini-riot in the North with Israeli Arabs (not Palestinians). People who were our neighbours were yelling "death to the Jews" as they drove by our yeshuv. I have more stories that can be told of our "wonderful" neighbours. Unfortunately, I have totally lost faith in them.
"How many of those "innocent" Arabs would stab you in the back if they could get away with it?" Nobody knows. Certainly some of them, and certainly not all of them. Which is why it is wrong to attack them.
And I agree with your comment. I wouldn't attack them.
Unfortunately settler violence on innocent arabs is the result of so many years of conflict and the messaniac fever of some of the settlers. Claims to Judea and Samaria should be based on security needs. In the messiah era, we will get our land. After so many years of conflict and especially after October 7, the anger unfortunately cannot be contained.
Unprovoked violence against innocents is always wrong and should be adjudicated.
Thank you for this brave and important post.
Glad to hear that something is being done by the IDF, and that some members of the Dati Leumi community are increasingly speaking out and taking action. But I also look forward to the day when this genuine problem is addressed more aggressively and universally within Dati Leumi circles, and when all branches of the Israeli government and state are working to suppress this moral stain unequivocally.
I do have two side points (that are not meant to detract from the urgency of policing our own side):
1) I completely agree that the problem is completely blown out of proportion by the media abroad, by people who actively try to suppress any impartial and complete reporting about the violence coming from the other side.
2) As someone who lives in the UK, I do not fully agree with this statement: "But on the other hand, the British government is making the right noises, the security forces will investigate, and if the culprits are found, they will be punished." The British authorities (police and judiciary) are not dealing with the problem appropriately (and the elite/BBC/Guardian complicity in this state of affairs is nicely encapsulated in the Shany Mor quote that you include).
Recent headlines covering this issue in the JC include the following:
-Ten recent cases that raise troubling questions about the Crown Prosecution Service: https://www.thejc.com/news/ten-recent-cases-that-raise-troubling-questions-about-the-crown-prosecution-service-xgthcqpv. "The CPS faces urgent questions over how it deals with cases related to antisemitism and connected issues"
-Two-tier outcomes: Why British Jews no longer trust the criminal justice system: https://www.thejc.com/opinion/two-tier-outcomes-why-british-jews-no-longer-trust-the-criminal-justice-system-nw70hlde. "The Crown Prosecution Service has no data on prosecution or conviction rates for antisemitic crimes. When an organisation cannot scope a problem, it cannot address it."
-Anti-Jewish hate crimes ‘half as likely to be prosecuted’ as those against Muslims: https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/anti-jewish-hate-crimes-half-as-likely-to-be-prosecuted-as-those-against-muslims-bxfszcr2. "Home Office figures raise ‘serious questions about consistency in the criminal justice response to hate crime’"
Anyway, back to the main point. Thank you again for highlighting this important issue and for bravely covering it in a balanced and concise manner.
I did just read chat gpt on the subject. The sources for their stats are the UN and Israeli gov.
I feel in need of education. How can I learn about how widespread settler violence has been and continues to be? I have believed that it is exaggerated and that the provocations are many before the reprisals- if indeed they are responses. Are they also initiatives?
Is the often repeated statement “this (might, violence) is the only language they understand” “the westerners delude themselves that the Arab islamists want compromise, etc. “ not accurate, flawed perception? The other argument I’ve heard is that the Israeli government comes down quicker and tougher on the Jews and also on their illegal construction than on their Arab counterparts. What and where is the truth? All comments to come are appreciated!
https://x.com/liel/status/2036091766697243061?s=46
article from Tablet magazine Liel Liebowitz with a different take
Not convincing. Theres no different take on this.