Kristof: Israeli Settlers' Violence Is Off the Charts

Nicholas Kristof argues in the New York Times that one of the most consequential legacies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "disastrous" long reign is a surge in violent settler attacks in the West Bank. The headline on his latest column is stark: "Israeli Settlers Are Out of Control." Attacks resulting in damage or injury are now occurring six times a day, according to UN data, the highest level in two decades. The spike is fed by continuing anger over the Hamas rampage of 2024, but the settler attacks in the West Bank are "brutal" as well, writes Kristof, who collects first-person accounts from Palestinian villagers whose homes, vehicles, livestock, and livelihoods have been repeatedly targeted.

"Under Netanyahu, the Israeli Army increasingly takes the side of settlers, even when they are engaging in illegal or violent behavior," writes Kristof. The UN further asserts that Israeli soldiers "routinely" accompany settlers in the attacks, he notes. With Israeli elections looming in October, Kristof sees a potential inflection point: Polls suggest Netanyahu could lose power, and former army chief Gadi Eisenkot is seen as a leading contender to replace him. Eisenkot is no dove, Kristof notes, but he has broken with Netanyahu over Gaza and might at least curb the "lawlessness" in the West Bank. "I'm hoping that Netanyahu's political end is coming." Read the full essay.