Netanyahu, Sa’ar condemn settler violence against IDF, urge crackdown on ‘fanatic few’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemn the attacks by Jewish extremists against IDF soldiers and security forces in the West Bank.

“No civilized country can tolerate violent and anarchic acts such as the burning of a military installation, damage to IDF property, and assaults on security personnel by citizens of the state,” writes Netanyahu in a statement, calling on law enforcement to investigate the incident and prosecute the “rioters.”

Netanyahu defends the wider settler population, depicting those who partook in the attacks as a fringe minority: “The settler community is a model and an example of developing the land, meaningful service in the IDF, and contributing to the cultivation of Torah scholars. We will not allow a violent and fanatic few to tarnish an entire community.”

In a separate post on X, Sa’ar says he “strongly condemn[s] the violence against the IDF and security forces. Such incidents are unacceptable and the perpetrators must be punished severely.”

Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier today that he will hold an “urgent meeting” to discuss the attacks, of which there have been several in recent days. Overnight, settler extremists rioted outside an army base and set fire to a nearby security installation. The uptick in violence follows a settler rampage in a Palestinian village last week.