Israeli General Criticizes Government’s Policies in the West Bank

Amid escalating tensions between Jewish settlers and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and recent efforts by the Israeli government to strengthen its control over the region, Israeli Major General Yehuda Fuks strongly criticized the government’s actions and condemned the increasing “nationalist crime” committed by Jewish settlers.

Major General Fuks, who is the outgoing chief of Israel’s Central Command responsible for military operations in the West Bank, emphasized the importance of a “strong and functioning” Palestinian Authority for Israel’s security interests. This statement was seen as a direct criticism of Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who is a settler himself and has been withholding tax funds from the Palestinian Authority, thus weakening its operations in the West Bank.

Expressing concern over the rise in settler violence in the West Bank, home to approximately 2.7 million Palestinians and over 500,000 Jewish settlers, Major General Fuks denounced the actions of an extremist minority among the settlers. He highlighted that such violence not only tarnishes Israel’s international reputation but also instills fear among Palestinians, stating that such behavior contradicts the values he was brought up with.

Israel took control of the West Bank from Jordan in 1967 during the Six-Day War and has since allowed Israeli civilians to settle in the region under Israeli civil law, while Palestinians are subject to Israeli military law. The international community widely considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal, and although many are also deemed illegal under Israeli law, the government often tolerates their existence. The gradual expansion of settlements has been criticized as a de facto annexation, hindering the prospects for a viable independent Palestinian state.