Netanyahu Condemns Settler Violence While Funding It
The prime minister of Israel has once again issued stern words against settler violence. This, of course, comes with the usual caveat: only when 'international pressure' (read: US optics) becomes too inconvenient. Netanyahu's government has historically facilitated this violence, whether by expanding settlements, greenlighting new outposts, or simply looking the other way as Palestinians are
displaced. Between 2009 and 2023, while settler attacks soared, the Israeli military demolished thousands of Palestinian structures in the West Bank, often under the guise of 'lack of permits'—permits Palestinians are almost never granted. One might wonder if these condemnations are less about genuine concern and more about managing the global public relations crisis, especially with key US ally
President Biden now facing domestic pressure over military aid to Israel. According to Human Rights Watch, Israeli authorities systematically fail to protect Palestinians from settler violence. How many times can a leader condemn an action his government actively enables before the 'condemnation' becomes part of the act?