From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Netanyahu faults ‘very lenient courts’ when asked about unchecked settler violence
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to fault Israel’s courts for letting violent settlers off the hook.
“It’s a tightly knit group that tries to skirt the law, and when we bring them to the courts, our courts are very lenient. I don’t know why. Maybe because they’re young, and I’ve said that we have to challenge that, and I don’t accept it,” Netanyahu says when asked about rampant, unchecked settler violence during a CNN interview.
He insists that those behind attacks on Palestinians, which take place on a near-daily basis, are not from the settlements, but rather are some 100 to 150 “juvenile delinquents” from outside of the West Bank.
However, activists on the ground say those behind the attacks are Israelis who have established illegal outposts throughout the West Bank in record numbers over the past three years. Netanyahu’s government has provided significant funding and protection to these wildcat communities, which critics say are being used as a tool to dispossess Palestinians of their lands.
CNN's Dana Bash presses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on why settler violence in the West Bank hasn't ended. pic.twitter.com/JbqzHhOqQN
— Inside Politics (@InsidePolitics) July 7, 2026
While Netanyahu placed the number of violent offenders at 100 to 150, Israel’s own security establishment reportedly believes the numbers are much higher. When Netanyahu was asked about the phenomenon last year, he downplayed it as one caused by “about 70 kids.”
Israel has come under fire for rarely carrying out arrests in instances of settler violence, with indictments and convictions even more infrequent.
Shin Bet figures from earlier this year found that three times more Palestinians were victims of terror attacks in the West Bank than Jews.
Netanyahu, in the CNN interview, insists that Israel is taking the issue seriously.
“We have real investigations. Israel is a transparent country. You can’t hide crimes in the military, you cannot hide crimes in the police… We’ll take care of it because that’s the kind of country we are,” he says. “This is blown up beyond belief and causes a lot of damage. I think it’s wrong on its own account. I don’t accept vigilantism, and I don’t care if it comes from Arabs or Jews.”
Netanyahu is then pressed on whether he’ll commit to seeking justice for 20-year-old Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet, who was allegedly beaten to death by settlers last year.
The premier says he’s not aware of the incident, but will look into it.
The Times of Israel Community.