Herzog warned Netanyahu of ‘severe consequences’ for Israel, Jews from unchecked settler violence

President Isaac Herzog sent a warning letter last month to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials, warning of a “highly explosive and dangerous reality” in the West Bank, and lamenting the ongoing “moral disgrace” of settler violence.

“The IDF commanders, the police officers and the Shin Bet personnel present a worrying picture of limited tools and a shortage of manpower,” wrote Herzog to Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in an October 8 letter seen by The Times of Israel.

Herzog warned that elections in Israel, the US and the Palestinian Authority — the latter of which were postponed — along with the olive harvest season, “create a highly explosive and dangerous reality.”

“A severe flare-up on the ground is liable to carry severe and far-reaching consequences, both for Israel’s security and its functioning as a sovereign state, and for Israel’s international standing, Diaspora Jewry, the Israeli economy, and more,” warned Herzog, adding that there is a “moral disgrace and the stain on us” when innocent Palestinians are harmed.

Herzog wrote the letter after a September 30 visit to the Judea and Samaria Division headquarters.

Settler violence has surged in recent months, with near-daily attacks and harassment, and few perpetrators charged or convicted. The attacks, some of which have targeted diplomats or press, have sparked widespread international backlash.

Herzog said the perpetrators should be treated by authorities as members of an organized crime group.

“We must employ the full array of tools available to the state to dismantle the criminal organizations that are running rampant” in the territory, Herzog continued.

“There is no room for this lawlessness in a sovereign state,” he warned.

He called for a comprehensive plan to fight the perpetrators, including a mass deployment of security forces, widespread arrests, administrative detentions, and the dismantling of the groups.

“Without visible enforcement and real deterrence, we will arrive at a disaster,” Herzog warned.

The president also called for an inter-ministerial team to address the phenomenon, which would integrate welfare, education, and local government officials.

He wrote, “In light of a certain leniency regarding arrests and the release of detainees,” a dialogue must be held with the attorney general, police, and the judiciary.

“The responsibility upon us is a national and state responsibility of the highest order,” he stressed. “We must not delay it for reasons that are irrelevant.”