Israeli minister doubles down against settler violence: ‘Difficult for some to look in the mirror’

Read More

Public Security Minister Omer Bar-Lev reasserted on Tuesday that he stands by his earlier comments regarding settler violence in the West Bank, after he had caused a political storm and drew criticism from lawmakers and fellow cabinet ministers.

“I understand that it is truly difficult for some to look in the mirror,” but “violence of extremist settlers is sweeping the entire world and foreign governments are interested in the issue.”

Bar-Lev provoked outrage on Monday after he told U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Jane Nuland that Israel views settler violence “severely” and that it is taking steps to tackle the phenomenon.

He added that he will continue “to fight Palestinian terrorism as if there was no violence by extremist settlers, and the violence of extremist settlers as if there was no Palestinian terrorism,” he added.

During Ber-Lev’s meeting with Nuland on Monday, he said that Israel is working on bolstering police in the West Bank and providing clearer instructions to Israeli troops on how to deal with attacks by Jews on Palestinians.

In November, Defense Minister Benny Gantz had pledged to ramp up enforcement against the attacks, after Israeli saw a 150 percent increase in cases from 2019 to 2021.

However, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked took to Twitter to refute the comments. “You are confused. The settlers are the salt of the earth,” she said, adding that they are continuing the tradition of previous Zionist pioneers. “The violence that is shocking is the dozens of cases of stone-throwing and beatings of Jews that happen daily, and all with the encouragement and support of the Palestinian Authority.”

‘Bastard’: Israeli minister faces backlash for vowing action on settler violence

Why settlers are quietly happy with Israel’s post-Netanyahu government

Settlers attack Palestinians. The Israeli army punishes the Palestinians. Repeat

Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana, also from Yamina, said that “it is sad to see a security man rich in experience and years, with such a false and distorted narrative,” echoing Shaked that the settlers “are not violent but pioneers.”