Israel's Ambassador to US Admits Failure in Curbing Jewish Terrorism

Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, stated in an interview with Haaretz that Israel has failed to curb Jewish terrorism, describing the perpetrators' actions as reprehensible, illegal, and immoral. Leiter acknowledged the acts but sought to distance them from the broader settlement movement and government institutions, attributing the violence to a few hundred "youth on the fringes" not necessarily connected to settlements.

Leiter's remarks drew criticism for attempting to whitewash the issue by admitting to the acts while allegedly concealing the systemic factors that foster them. The article argues that the Israeli government, through Leiter, acknowledges the problem but avoids responsibility for the policies and enforcement practices that contribute to it. Leiter's analogy comparing responsibility for Jewish terrorism to holding all Black people accountable for the crimes of a few was deemed flawed and racially charged, intended to deflect blame from settlers.

The author contends that the power dynamics are fundamentally different for Israeli settlers, who are citizens with full rights, compared to Palestinians living under military occupation without political rights. This disparity, the article suggests, makes Palestinians more susceptible to collective suspicion and discriminatory enforcement, not the settlers.

The piece further elaborates that the settlement enterprise is a deeply ingrained territorial, political, and budgetary system with its own institutions, leadership, and government backing. It argues that violent actors are not outliers but an integral part of this system, supported by those who educate, fund, arm, and politically protect them, while authorities selectively enforce the law. This selective enforcement, the article claims, allows a few hundred activists to intimidate communities and alter territorial realities.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in contrast to Leiter's partial admission, referred to the violence as "heinous acts" by a "handful of rioters," emphasizing the swift response of security forces and framing the victims as law-abiding settlers, the IDF, and Israel's standing, while omitting any mention of the Palestinian victims. The article concludes that Jewish terrorism is not an external stain that can be removed by distancing perpetrators from settlements, as the state's institutions and selective enforcement are complicit in creating the reality that enables such violence.