Lapid lambastes Smotrich for comments against soldiers

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid lashes out at Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for criticizing Israeli soldiers who used live fire while trying to contain a group of violent settlers during a Friday night riot, joining others in his Yesh Atid Party who have spoken out against the hard-right politician.

“Jewish terrorists beat IDF soldiers, punched a battalion commander defending them and Smotrich says that the ones who ‘crossed the line’ are not the extremist criminals but actually the IDF soldiers there to protect them,” Lapid writes on X. “Our lives are in the hands of criminals.”

Friday night saw throngs of rioting settlers attack soldiers at the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik near Ramallah, after the forces arrived there to prevent them from rampaging in the village. Six Israelis were arrested following the violence. Smotrich expressed anger at reports that troops fired in the air during the incident.

Dvir Kariv, a former top official with the Shin Bet’s division tasked with dealing with Jewish terror, tells the Ynet news site that violent settlers are being emboldened by Smotrich and fellow far-right politician Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel national security minister.

“The hilltop youth feel they have a tailwind from the leadership, from Smotrich and Ben Gvir, and so they are ramping up [violence,]” he says, claiming that the Shin Bet is actually making more use of administrative detention, which allows them to hold suspects without charge, in reaction to Ben Gvir. “Hilltop youth are humiliating IDF soldiers and need to be punished severely. The moment Smotrich and Ben Gvir don’t issue condemnations, [the violence] intensifies. They are backing it.”