Israel finally notices its settler mobs are burning down the West Bank
Israel says settler gangs need to quit setting villages on fire, which is strange as the gangs take their cues from the folks now pretending to clutch pearls. Even the president popped up to say the chaos crosses a red line, which must be somewhere behind all the torched trucks, smashed farms, and murdered people.
President Isaac Herzog described the attacks as “shocking and serious,” adding a rare and powerful voice to what has been muted criticism by top Israeli officials of the settler violence. Herzog’s position, while largely ceremonial, is meant to serve as a moral compass and unifying force for the country.
Herzog said the violence committed by a “handful” of perpetrators “crosses a red line,” adding in a social media post that “all state authorities must act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon.”
His remarks, and those of two high-ranking military officials, came after dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf in the West Bank on Tuesday, setting fire to vehicles and other property before clashing with Israeli soldiers.
Generals are vowing to restore order while settlers sprint back to outposts like kids caught with matches. Palestinians are left watching officials condemn the flames they refuse to stomp out. And somewhere in Jerusalem, the vice president does another solemn tour while the West Bank keeps burning on schedule.