Former Israeli PM Says Settler Violence Against Palestinians Is State-Backed

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has launched a scathing critique of the Israeli government, accusing the state of being involved in a systematic campaign of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. In his opinion article published by the daily Haaretz, Olmert stated that the violence carried out by Jewish settlers in the West Bank is not the action of individuals or a small group acting alone. According to him, these actions are taking place in an organised manner and are receiving support from the government. “The fight against Jewish terrorism in the West Bank must enter the next stage and be carried out with greater determination. The daily terror managed, directed, encouraged, and supported by the Israeli government can no longer be tolerated,” Olmert wrote. Olmert specifically refuted a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had previously described the perpetrators as a handful of troubled youths. In his view, the current violence is part of a broader and systematic pattern. He even accused the Israeli government of implementing policies that amount to ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank. “The State of Israel is running an organised, systematic, and state-funded campaign that leads to ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity,” Olmert said. In his article, Olmert also highlighted the role of Israeli security forces. He assessed that the police and some elements of the military have failed to prevent the violence, and in a number of cases are suspected of actually assisting the perpetrators. According to Olmert, the various incidents include attacks on civilians, the burning of land and property, and the theft of livestock that serve as a source of livelihood for the Palestinian community. “The Israeli police are in practice a partner in what is happening in the West Bank. In many cases, the security forces actually help the Jewish terrorists, while the Palestinian victims are the ones arrested, not the perpetrators,” he wrote. Olmert also criticised Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, which he said has the capability to take action against the perpetrators of violence but does not utilise the available instruments. The former prime minister’s statement comes amid increasing international scrutiny of the security situation in the West Bank and the relationship between the Israeli government and settler groups in the occupied territory.