West Bank Police 'Condemn' Violence While Enabling It
Al-Monitor reports that an Israeli West Bank police chief condemned a settler's 'cruel' beating of a Palestinian woman. This is presented as a singular event, an anomaly, a breach of 'order'. What the report omits is the systematic nature of such violence, where settler aggression in the West Bank has surged, often with tacit or explicit military protection. In 2023 alone, there were over 1,200
recorded incidents of settler violence against Palestinians. This 'condemnation' functions as a convenient distraction, allowing officials to appear concerned while the fundamental structure of occupation and illegal settlements remains unchallenged. One might question why condemning violence is headline news when the state actively funds, arms, and defends the very settlers who commit these acts.
How many 'cruel' beatings go unmentioned between pronouncements of 'deep concern' from those enabling the system?