Israel Arrests Settlers After Anti-Palestinian Rampage

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Facts

  • Israeli police arrested at least six suspects allegedly involved in the rampage carried out by settlers near the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday, which followed a deadly attack by Palestinians on two Israeli brothers from a nearby settlement.1
  • Al Jazeera reported that eight were initially arrested, but that the Israeli police released six of them outright while two were released on house arrest. Around 400 settlers are thought to have taken part in the rampage.2
  • Israeli police said on Wednesday that they would likely make more arrests regarding the ongoing investigation into Sunday's settler violence, with Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs, who commands the Israeli military in the area, saying that his forces were prepared for settler attacks but had been surprised by their intensity.1
  • Sunday's rampage has sparked major controversy both in Israel and outside of it, with US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides saying that further violence must be prevented — especially as the holy month of Ramadan approaches.3
  • Violence in the West Bank has steadily worsened over the last year following a spree of Palestinian attacks in Israel last spring, which resulted in an increase in Israeli military activity in the area. A raid in Nablus last week left 11 Palestinians dead and over 100 wounded; last month, a Palestinian gunman opened fire near a synagogue in an east Jerusalem settlement, killing seven people.4

Sources: 1Al-awsat, 2Al Jazeera, 3Jerusalem Post and 4Itn.

Narratives

  • Pro-Palestine, as provided by Middle east eye. What happened in Nablus on Sunday night can only be described as a pogrom carried out by fanatic Jewish supremacists with the complete backing of the Israeli army and government. Though this event was so violent many Israeli figures had to vocally condemn it, settler violence is a common practice in the occupied West Bank and has been for decades. Indeed, though Israel did arrest a few of those involved, they were swiftly released. Emboldened by international silence after killing more Palestinians last year than in any other calendar year since the Second Intifada, the occupation is becoming even more violent.
  • Pro-Israel, as provided by Times of israel. What the settlers did in response to the terrorist attack on Sunday was barbaric and monstrous, but one must keep in mind that such violence is a result of the Israeli government's failure in managing Palestinian terrorism. Netanyahu condemned what happened and so did many in his cabinet. Figures that showed support for the riots should be sidelined — Israel does not support such acts of violence, as it goes against the moral foundation behind the state's creation. Most Israelis want peace, and the actions of these settlers do not represent the rest of Israeli society.