EU - Stop West Bank Settler Violence

The European Union and United Kingdom have demanded that Israel halt a surge in violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that has taken place since the start of the country’s war with Iran.

Six Palestinians have been killed during attacks by settlers across the West Bank over […] 11 days, according to the United Nations.

The Israeli military condemned the violence and said it was working to bring those responsible to justice.

Israel has built about 160 settlements housing 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem—land Palestinians want, along with Gaza, for a hoped-for future state—during the 1967 Middle East war. An estimated 3.3 million Palestinians live alongside them.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said security forces were dispatched to the area following a report of Palestinians being attacked by Israeli civilians near their homes, and that they acted to disperse those involved. It added that a criminal investigation had been opened.

“There will be zero tolerance for civilians who take the law into their own hands,” Maj Gen Avi Bluth said. “We are working together with all security agencies to quickly reach those responsible and bring them to justice.”

-www.bbc.com, 11 March 2026

Commentary: We have no sympathy for violence—in this case, Israeli civilians against Arab Palestinians. They are criminals. As the article indicates, Israel’s military condemned the violence and is working to bring those responsible to justice.

Jesus said: “And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages” (Luke 3:14).

The clear distinction between the Jews and the Palestinian Arabs must be highlighted, however. A Google search reveals: “Pay for slay is a widely used term, particularly by critics, for the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) policy of providing financial support to families of Palestinians killed, injured, or detained in conflicts with Israel.”

When the diabolical Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 civilians and took hundreds hostage, it was mostly celebrated in Gaza. Arab Palestinians in Judea and Samaria publicly demonstrated their joy and satisfaction at the horrible event of 7 October 2023.

Based on this writer’s own experience—having visited Israel dozens of times—hatred among the Israeli Jewish population is almost nonexistent. The Old Testament requires: “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee” (Proverbs 25:21-22). The New Testament reenforces: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Mathew 5:44).

(See What Should We Think About Israel? Item #2358, $17.99.)