Report: IDF general, Shin Bet head claim settler violence unchecked on Ben Gvir’s orders

The head of the IDF’s Central Command, Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox, has reportedly written a secret document, presented to the IDF chief of staff alongside an opinion by Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, alleging that police are not dealing with settler violence toward Palestinians in the West Bank on the orders of the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Channel 12 news, without citing a source, says Fox has also warned in the document that security forces are unable to prevent a potential flareup in the West Bank due to far-right extremist violence.

The Shin Bet portion of the document reportedly says that phone calls with senior police officials have revealed that the almost complete lack of enforcement on settler attacks comes at the directive of Ben Gvir, who is in charge of the police.

Police deny any such directive not to enforce nationalistic violence committed by Jews, adding that such attacks have since October 7 been down 50% compared to the same period last year, and that the number of cases opened is up by 30%.

Ben Gvir doesn’t confirm or deny giving the directive, with his comment consisting primarily of attacks on the media for running a “false media campaign about settler violence.”