Netanyahu Condemns Settler 'Extremists' – But Keeps Their Cabinets
France 24 dutifully reported Benjamin Netanyahu’s condemnation of 'extremist' settler violence in the West Bank, a tragicomic performance as predictable as the violence itself. What’s missing from this convenient framing is the inconvenient truth that Netanyahu's current governing coalition includes figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who are not just 'extremists' but architects and
vocal champions of the settler movement itself. Ben-Gvir, the Minister of National Security, and Smotrich, the Minister of Finance, openly advocate for annexation and increased settlement expansion, effectively normalizing the very 'extremism' Netanyahu now feigns to rebuke. This isn't a new act; Israeli governments have historically issued these performative condemnations while continuing to fund
and protect settlements, which are illegal under international law. So, when Netanyahu 'condemns,' one might reasonably ask if he's condemning the violence or just the timing of its exposure. The distinction between 'extremist' settlers and government policy becomes increasingly semantic when the 'extremists' are in the government.