7 senators urge Biden to press Israel further on issue of settler violence

Seven Democratic senators have sent a letter to US President Joe Biden urging him to further intensify Washington’s efforts to combat the uptick of settler violence, arguing that the deadly phenomenon threatens stability in the West Bank as well as broader US national security interests.

The Yesh Din rights group said Friday that there had been over 172 incidents of settler violence and harassment against Palestinians in at least 84 Palestinian towns and communities in the West Bank since Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself warned settler leaders this evening that there will be no tolerance for extremists acting violently.

The senators writing to Biden acknowledge his administration’s efforts on the issue, but assert that more can be done due to what they say are the threats posed by settler violence.

“We urge your administration to enhance its diplomatic efforts to prevent further violence,” the US lawmakers write in the letter organized by Sen. Jon Ossoff and shared exclusively with The Times of Israel.

Also signing the letter are Senate Intelligence Committee chair Mark Warner, Senate Armed Services Committee chair Jack Reed along with Sens. John Hickenlooper, Martin Heinrich, Tim Kaine and Chris Van Hollen.

“As Israel confronts the atrocities of the October 7th Hamas attacks, and threats in Gaza and southern Lebanon, it is crucial that US and Israeli policy reinforce the stability and security of the West Bank,” the senators say. “Alarming incidents of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians represent an acute destabilizing risk that must be mitigated to prevent wider conflict in the region.”

“If additional action to prevent these violent attacks is not taken, we worry that civilians and US national security interests will suffer grave harm,” the letter states, noting the likelihood of exacerbating anger in the West Bank and across the Arab world.