Outgoing IDF West Bank commander slams settler leaders for failing to rein in violence

Outgoing IDF Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox lambastes settler leaders for failing to curb violence and attacks against West Bank Palestinians in recent months, saying that it has seen Israelis adopt the “ways of the enemy.”

Fox makes the remarks at a ceremony handing over control of the IDF Central Command to Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth at the unit’s headquarters in Jerusalem. The command is in charge of the West Bank region.

Fox says that while “the vast majority” of Israeli settlers in the West Bank are “moral, law-abiding citizens,” in recent months “nationalist crime reared its head under the auspices of war,” and enabled rioting and intimidation of Palestinians.

“Unfortunately, the local [settler] leadership is deterred and does not find the strength to openly oppose it. Those who remain silent in the face of the crimes thereby introduce criticism towards [all settlers]. This is not Judaism in my eyes. This is not the way of the Torah. It is adopting the ways of the enemy,” he says.

On the Palestinian Authority, Fox says “the Central Command’s ability to fulfill its tasks also depends on the existence of a functioning and strong Palestinian Authority, with effective security mechanisms that maintain law and order.”

“Proactively undermining the security reality in this front endangers the security of the State of Israel,” he says.

Settler leaders in the Knesset, particularly Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has repeatedly worked to undermine the PA, which he accuses of fomenting terror.

Fox, who is retiring from the IDF, ending a 36-year military career, has faced criticism from settler activists during his time as regional commander, accusing him of favoring Palestinians over settlers.

Recent months have seen incidents of vigilante settlers rampaging through Palestinian towns and farming communities.

The ceremony is attended by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.

Bluth previously headed the Central Command’s West Bank division and is an observant Jew, making him a favorable choice for the role in the eyes of some.

Speaking at the ceremony, Fox also says “today’s excitement is surrounded by feelings of failure and shame, that we did not fulfill our life’s mission,” referring to the October 7 onslaught.

“As a former commander of the Gaza Division, I carry with me deep sorrow and pain. These feelings will accompany me all my life,” he says.

Fox says that the Central Command has so far managed to quell the West Bank, keeping it from “becoming a main front and from diverting the IDF from the challenges of the war.”

“There are Iranian efforts… to carry out terror against the State of Israel. We must constantly prepare for the next threat, stay ahead of the enemy, and never underestimate it,” he says.