The commander of the Central Region in the Israeli occupation army, Major General Avi Bluth, condemned the escalating attacks by settlers in the occupied West Bank, describing them as explicit 'Jewish terrorism'. Bluth warned in statements made during a closed forum that the continuation of these practices would inevitably lead to the outbreak of a violent Palestinian intifada, noting that the current Palestinian indifference would not last forever.
Informed sources revealed that the military commander distinguished in his speech between settlement farms established in coordination with state institutions and the army, and random outposts from which most acts of violence originate. He stressed that the 150 coordinated farms serve the occupation's goals of preventing Palestinian urban expansion in areas classified as 'C', while the other outposts constitute a security and moral burden.
Bluth described the attacking settlers as 'anarchic youth' who need firm social and legal intervention, accusing them of trying to exploit the confrontation with Iran to escalate the situation in the West Bank. He explained that some of these people mistakenly believe that the time has come to fight a 'Gog and Magog' battle and fully occupy the areas under the Palestinian Authority.
The military official indicated that he conveyed direct warnings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ministers about the seriousness of the current situation in the West Bank. He stressed that the decline in operations at certain times does not mean permanent stability, but rather a cautious calm that could quickly collapse as a result of settler attacks and hardline government policies.
Bluth strongly criticized the policy of withholding Palestinian tax funds, stressing that it weakens the Palestinian security services, whose members have received only 40% of their salaries for about a year. He suggested to the cabinet the necessity of having tools to de-escalate tension through 'carrot and stick' together, and not relying solely on military force, which could increase street unrest.
In a remarkable admission, the military commander said that there is a direct and documented link between the 'price tag' acts carried out by settlers and violent Palestinian reactions. He explained that the occupation army monitored cases of Palestinian citizens who were subjected to brutal attacks and immediately decided to carry out retaliatory operations in response to the burning of their homes and property.
Bluth also expressed his shame at the behavior of settlers who 'do not consider Arabs to be human beings', referring to incidents of burning inhabited homes that occur almost daily. He mentioned an incident in which settlers burned military diagnostic equipment belonging to the army in the 'Bat Ayin' settlement to ensure that their identities were not revealed while they were on their way to attack the neighboring village of Surif.
The military commander attacked the Israeli judiciary and police system, describing their procedures against settlers as 'ridiculous' and not deterrent. He gave an example of the arrest of five masked men who burned three Palestinian villages, only to be released three days later by a judge's decision, and immediately returned to committing violence in other areas.
Bluth hinted that Defense Minister Yisrael Katz's decision to stop using administrative detention orders against settlers ties the hands of the security services in confronting this growing danger. He stressed that he is doing his utmost to curb these crimes despite legal restrictions, emphasizing that these 'savages' should be behind bars to protect the security of the region.
The commander of the Central Region concluded his speech by pointing out that Israeli society as a whole has become more violent after the Gaza war, which is clearly reflected in public discourse and field behavior. He warned that the presence of millions of Palestinians in direct contact with settlements and highways makes any upcoming explosion a massive event that exceeds the army's ability to contain it traditionally.
When homes are burned with their residents, this is called Israeli terrorism. These are savages and their natural place is prison.
שתף את דעתך
Commander of the Central Region of the Occupation Army: What the settlers are doing is 'Jewish terrorism' that leads us to an intifada