Ongoing settler violence in West Bank 'moral stain' on Israel, Herzog says following recent clashes

Settler extremists threw stones, assaulted IDF and Border police, and set fire to property throughout the area, actions which members of the establishment utterly condemned.Follow us on GoogleA Palestinian man walks next to a vehicle damaged in what Palestinians say was an Israeli settlers attack, in Deir Abu Masha'al, near Ramallah, in the West Bank, September 28, 2026.(photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMAD TOROKMAN)SEPTEMBER 29, 2026 09:54Updated: SEPTEMBER 29, 2026 10:11The ongoing settler violence in the West Bank is a "moral stain" that "must be addressed with the full severity of the law," President Isaac Herzog said on Wednesday following the most recent clashes between Israeli rioters and the IDF.The clashes, which occured near the village of Jalud overnight on Monday, happened when security forces attempted to return a Palestinian family to its home following incidents of nationalist crime against it, according to the IDF.Settler extremists threw stones, assaulted IDF and Border police, and set fire to property throughout the area, actions which the President condemned in his post, calling them unjustified and highly illegal."The violence stands in profound contradiction to Jewish values," said Herzog. "Precisely in these days, amid the holiday of Sukkot - a festival that holds an important place in the tradition of settlement in the Land of Israel - rioters come and desecrate the holiday, the settlement, and the entire people."The president reiterated his full support for the IDF, the Israel Police, and the people wounded in the riot. " The law enforcement authorities must act with determination against the lawbreakers and ensure they face the full measure of justice."A settler extremist committing arson during West Bank clashes overnight on September 28, 2026.Benny Gantz reacts to West Bank outrageBenny Gantz, head of the Blue and White party, posted his reaction on X, with accompanying images displaying instances of arson."Not in the name of the Torah of Israel, not in the name of the people of Israel - and certainly not in the name of the settlement enterprise," he wrote."The fringe group of extremists who burn homes in the dead of night and harm our heroic troops represents nothing other than a small, radical element that has lost its way."He continued, saying, "The time has come to restore governance to Judea and Samaria as well, and to strictly crack down on those criminal rioters who inflict damage on the State of Israel and on the settlers - the overwhelming majority of whom oppose this madness."This can be accomplished only by a cross-bloc Zionist government that will act solely in the interests of the State of Israel."Eisenkot: Grave acts of violence evoke disgustRetired IDF chief of staff and leader of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, reacted with his own X post, saying, "The grave acts that took place tonight in the village of Jalud evoke disgust. I condemn them in the strongest terms."The campaign "of terror and violence, including stone-throwing, arson, and assault - it is not moral, it is not Jewish, and it harms the security of all residents, as well as the work of the security apparatus.He continued by condemning the government for its policy failures, saying, "This is what anarchy and loss of control look like, which have reached new heights under the current government. This reality, in which each person does what is right in their own eyes, is not a malfunction and not a mistake, but a direct result of a dangerous policy. A policy that sets the area ablaze, harms residents, and endangers the fighters of the security forces during the performance of their duties.""Every Israeli who upholds the values of the Declaration of Independence, the rule of law, and the sovereignty of the government feels revulsion this morning toward this behavior - which does not represent Israel and its values."Amir Bohbot contributed to this story.Follow us on Google