Israel Palestinians

Israeli soldiers and settlers order Israeli and foreign peace activists to leave the site during a protest in support of local landowners whose property is threatened with seizure by Israeli settlers, on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Beit Sahour, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.

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There’s a reason why Israel has done little to rein in settler violence. It’s not just Netanyahu

There’s a reason why Israel has done little to rein in settler violence. It’s not just Netanyahu

A dayslong standoff in the occupied West Bank points to Israel's reluctance to rein in settler violence against Palestinians. Many of Israel's political leaders have criticized the violence. But most support the larger settlement enterprise aimed at cementing control over the West Bank and preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leads the most settler-friendly government in Israel's history and it has eased military restrictions on them. But the settlements, considered illegal by much of the international community, have grown under all of his predecessors.