Why 'emboldened' Jewish settlers are now attacking Israeli soldiers in the West Bank

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Jun 30, 2025

Hagar Shezaf, Haaretz's West Bank correspondent, sheds light on the alarming rise of violence from Israeli settlers, emboldened by far-right government support. She details recent attacks on Palestinian communities and even IDF soldiers, a shocking shift in dynamics that has drawn widespread public outrage. The discussion delves into how normalization of aggression post-October 7 has altered perceptions within Israeli society, posing critical questions about accountability and the future of the region amid ongoing conflicts.

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ANECDOTE

Settlers Attack Soldiers at Outpost

On Friday night, settlers violently attacked IDF soldiers at an illegal outpost near Kufr Malek.
The conflict escalated over five hours with settlers throwing stones and injuring a settler teenager by live fire.

ANECDOTE

Settler Raid Preceded Military Killings

Settlers raided Kufr Malek, torched property, and caused destruction earlier in the week.
The soldiers then killed three Palestinians during the military response that day.

INSIGHT

Government Emboldens Settlers

The current far-right government emboldens settlers and reduces military eviction efforts.
Evictions are rare, settlers often return quickly to illegal outposts despite military actions.

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Destructive attacks on Palestinian communities by West Bank settlers “emboldened” by support from powerful far right-wing figures in the Netanyahu government have received little attention as the country has focused on the war in Gaza and the recent clash with Iran.

Last week, dozens of settlers descended upon Kafr Malik, a Palestinian town north of Ramallah, attacking residents and their property, as well as IDF soldiers who arrived at the scene. The outpost – illegal even under Israeli law – was dismantled by the Israeli army later that night, triggering multiple riots at a nearby army base and police station. The settlers’ attacks on Israeli soldiers sparked widespread public outrage and even condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz.

Haaretz West Bank correspondent Hagar Shezaf joined host Allison Kaplan Sommer this week for a behind-the-scenes look at the ongoing tension and the “Jewish terrorists” so dedicated to driving Palestinians off of their land that they are willing to attack IDF soldiers when they stand in their way.

Noting that Israelis generally “support the soldiers over the settlers,” she shared insights about the evolving political climate toward violent extremists in the West Bank.

“I think in settler society – and to an extent, broader Israeli society, it has become much, much, much more normalized post October 7 – the sense that these people are guarding the land.”

Attacks on IDF soldiers, she said, are “obviously always controversial in Israeli society – but attacking Palestinians? Not so controversial anymore.”

Subscribe to Haaretz.com for up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Israel and the Middle East in English.

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