In His Retirement Speech, Israel's Top Officer in the West Bank Revealed the Hidden Truth

By Amos Harel

Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs stressed the dangers of ignoring settler violence against Palestinians and the importance of the Palestinian Authority for Israel's security

The farewell speech given on Monday by Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs, the outgoing head of the army's Central Command, provided an internal glimpse into the events there throughout these nine months of war. Fuchs didn't hide behind obfuscations, but rather described his feelings of guilt – as part of the Israel Defense Forces high command and as the former head of the Gaza Division at the end of the previous decade – in the face of the army's resounding failure in preventing October 7 massacre.

There was no attempt at covering up his feelings and experiences of persecution from extremist settlers, who have long marked him as an independent officer who refused to bow down to them, and therefore became a target for their slander and incitement. The best example of which occurred last October when right-wing extremists were demonstrating in front of his home, arguing that he was endangering them – some of them even threatened his family. The Southern Command head, Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, experienced a completely different attitude from the residents of the Gaza border region, who had been the victims of a real atrocity.

IDF commander in West Bank slams settler leadership over violence against PalestiniansMounting international sanctions against Israeli settler group could be earth-shatteringIsraeli West Bank settlers attack Palestinians in three incidents; No arrests madeJust as the IDF was about to enter the Gaza Strip for the first time, the members of Kibbutz Nir Oz, which the army had indeed abandoned – there is no kinder word, unfortunately – on the day of the massacre, sent Finkelman a letter of encouragement. Don't think now about what happened, they said, but focus on succeeding in the offensive and helping free the hostages.

Fuchs could only dream of a similar attitude on the part of the Israelis living in the West Bank. An echo of this could also be heard in his farewell speech: "I did everything I could to protect the residents of the state and the residents of the region," he said. "I took seriously every stone and bottle that was thrown, and I saw myself responsible for every person injured in body or soul. Sometimes I failed. I will carry the price of their blood with me forever."

Israel At War: Get a daily summary directly to your inboxsign upBorder Police officers stop Jewish settlers from entering the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, in July.Credit: Ohad Zwigenberg/APHe said the "great majority of settlers" are law-abiding citizens who "live in the shadow of the threat of terror." But, he added, "unfortunately, in recent months, nationalist crime has reared its head under the cover of war and has led to revenge and sowed calamity and fear in Palestinian residents who do not pose any threat. To my dismay, the local leadership and the spiritual leadership for the most part did not see the threat as we did. It is intimidated and has not found the strength to come out openly and act in accordance with the values of Judaism."

He continued: "Even if the perpetrators are few in number, those who have remained silent have failed to isolate them and their actions from the majority. This isn't Judaism in my eyes – at least it's not the one I grew up with in my father's and mother's house." It is hard to say these things – except when you remember that (then) Lt. Gen. Nitzan Alon said similar things a dozen years ago at the end of his term as commander of the Judea and Samaria Division. The situation has only gotten worse since then.

In contrast to the claims made against him, Fuchs implemented a policy of the use of extremely aggressive force against Palestinian terrorism during the Gaza war, which included hundreds of arrest raids and dozens of brigade-level operations in the refugee camps and cities of the West Bank. He did so while making increasing use of attack drones for assassinations, a practice that was almost completely taboo until last summer.

Nevertheless, it should be said that in his speech, Fuchs emphasized the need not to harm Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and that it was in the State of Israel's national security interest in preserving the Palestinian Authority's status despite repeated demands by far-right coalition parties to bring about its collapse.

A Palestinian-owned vehicle that was torched by settlers in the West Bank in April.Credit: Tomer Appelbaum"Sowing fear among the citizens of the country in the shadow of the events of October 7 is a dangerous mistake," Fuchs warned. "The ability of the Central Command to fulfill its tasks, to protect the residents of Israel and the residents of the area under its command, depends on the existence of a functioning and strong PA, with effective security mechanisms that maintain law and order. This is the starting point for whoever is head of this command and is based on a cabinet decision."

About IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi, with whom Fuch's relations over the past year have been strained, he said: "As a commander, but first and foremost as a citizen, I am ashamed and hurt by the barbaric attacks you have been experiencing. It's a method that some have adopted here as well – terrible things are said and then comes a feeble apology until the next irresponsible attack."

What was only hinted at in the speech concerned the political drama playing out behind the scenes, namely the takeover by the settlers, through their representatives in the government, of the civil administration of the West Bank. Bezalel Smotrich, by virtue of his dual role as finance minister and minister in the Defense Ministry is amassing more and more power and authority, at the expense of the Defense Ministry, the IDF and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. He is now dictating Israeli policy in the West Bank.

This is manifested in the expansion of settlement areas and the legalization of illegal outposts, but also in Smotrich's calculated effort to financially strangle the PA in the hopes of bringing about its collapse. It is no wonder that another member of Smotrich's party, National Missions Minister Orit Strock, speaks of an "atmosphere of miracles" surrounding her following the war that broke out in Gaza. The extreme right recognizes a window of opportunity has opened for it under the auspices of the war and is acting accordingly.

Hagai Segal, the editor of the right-wing weekly Makor Rishon, wrote last Friday that Smotrich is "a public emissary who is seeking to take advantage of an once-in-a-lifetime political opportunity that he is convinced is in the best interests of the country."