PA Foreign Ministry praises Israeli minister’s condemnation of settler violence

Settlers chase after Palestinians near the West Bank outpost of Homesh on November 15, 2021. (Yesh Din/Screenshot)
Settlers chase after Palestinians near the West Bank outpost of Homesh on November 15, 2021. (Yesh Din/Screenshot)

The Palestinian Authority Foreign Ministry praises Israeli Public Security Minister Omer Barlev for condemning violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.

“This recognition is an initial step in the right direction, but it is not enough,” the Foreign Ministry adds.

Barlev sparked a coalition dustup this week after announcing that he had discussed “settler violence” with a visiting American diplomat. The current government’s right wing accused Barlev of generalizing the actions of a few extremists to an entire community.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett implicitly rebuked Barlev’s remarks yesterday, saying that the actions of a “marginal few” should not be taken to reflect the entire settlement movement.

While no official figures have been released, the Shin Bet has reported a 50% rise in extremist Jewish attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank over the past year. Pro-Palestinian rights groups lament that the assailants are rarely prosecuted, reporting that the vast majority of cases are closed without indictments.

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