Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu issued a strong rebuke on Monday following violent acts by Jewish extremists, including the torching of a military post and a riot outside an army base in the West Bank. The statement came hours after dozens of radical settlers clashed with security forces.
“No civilized country can tolerate violent and anarchic acts such as the burning of a military installation, damage to IDF property, and assaults on security personnel by citizens of the state,” Netanyahu stated in remarks distributed by his office.
He also urged authorities to investigate thoroughly and bring charges against those responsible, referring to them as “rioters.”
Netanyahu made clear that these violent individuals are not reflective of the broader settler population. Instead, he emphasized the positive role that settlers play in Israeli society.
“The settler community is a model and an example of developing the land, meaningful service in the IDF, and contributing to the cultivation of Torah scholars. We will not allow a violent and fanatic few to tarnish an entire community,” the prime minister said.
Defense Minister Israel Katz announced plans to convene an emergency meeting to address the situation and plot a strategy to contain future outbreaks of settler violence.
“This phenomenon must be put to an immediate end. We will take all necessary measures and completely uproot this violence. No one will dare raise a hand against IDF soldiers and members of the security forces,” Katz declared.
However, opposition lawmakers leveled fierce criticism at the government, accusing it of enabling extremism by coddling radical elements within the settler population.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid bluntly labeled the perpetrators.
“These are Jewish terrorists, a gang of criminals, who feel they have the support of the coalition. Anyone who uses force against IDF soldiers should be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law,” Lapid said in an interview with Army Radio.
National Unity leader Benny Gantz pointed to what he described as the government’s role in undermining Israel’s law enforcement institutions.
“The event we witnessed tonight, which joins a severe wave of additional events, begins with a dangerous tailwind for violence and Jewish terrorism, blowing directly from ministers in the government,” Gantz said.
He added that verbal condemnation is insufficient without concrete measures to reverse the trend.
“From the deliberate weakening of the police, and attacks on the Shin Bet and the IDF instead of on the rioters. Mealymouthed condemnations will not stop the violence — only action will,” Gantz asserted.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also weighed in, stating unequivocally that violence against the country’s security apparatus is intolerable.
“I strongly condemn the violence against the IDF and security forces. Such incidents are unacceptable and the perpetrators must be punished severely,” he said.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who had criticized IDF troops for their use of live fire against settlers just days earlier, appeared to shift tone, calling the recent actions a serious breach.
“Criminals are criminals are criminals in every place in the country,” he wrote on X.
“Violence against beloved IDF soldiers and the Israel Police and the destruction of property are forbidden and cross a red line,” Smotrich added, urging the police to apprehend those behind the attacks.
He further distanced the broader settler movement from those responsible for the incidents, saying these individuals do not reflect the values of most residents in the West Bank.
Likud lawmaker Avihai Boaron described the violent acts as “apparently illegal behavior,” but attempted to downplay their gravity by characterizing the perpetrators as disaffected youth.
He also pushed back against comparisons between the settlers and Palestinians who engage in stone-throwing attacks.
“A rock is a rock, but the throwing hand is not the same throwing hand — of course the intention is different,” Boaron said, cautioning against labeling extremist settlers as enemies.
The events unfolded overnight between Sunday and Monday, when dozens of Jewish radicals reportedly attacked a security facility and clashed with soldiers near a base in the West Bank. The attack came just days after a settler physically assaulted an IDF officer.
Some participants held signs branding an IDF commander a “traitor,” according to reports.
Military officials said that the rioters attempted to breach the perimeter of the Binyamin Regional Brigade base, hurled rocks, sprayed mace at soldiers, and punctured vehicle tires.
In a separate attack, settlers burned down a high-cost security installation near Ramallah, which the IDF said was key in preventing terror attacks and ensuring safety in the area.
The military warned that destruction of the post “poses a danger to the security of the residents.”
No arrests have yet been reported in connection with the violence. The Shin Bet has launched an investigation into the arson at the security installation.
The group responsible for rioting outside the army base had reportedly been protesting the military’s firing of warning shots at settlers who ambushed a patrol on Friday night — an incident that apparently resulted in a teenage boy being wounded.
Troops and police had been dispatched to an area near Kafr Malik after receiving intelligence that suspects were gathering there. The location had been declared a restricted military zone following an earlier attack by settlers in which three Palestinians were killed by IDF fire. Settlers had repeatedly tried to establish an unauthorized outpost on privately owned Palestinian land.
{Matzav.com Israel}