Jewish Settlers Torch Vehicle in West Bank; Court Criticizes Law Enforcement

Three Jewish individuals set fire to a vehicle overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in the village of Al-Ruba'i in the southern Hebron Hills. The perpetrators, wearing hooded sweatshirts, poured flammable liquid on the car before igniting it and fleeing the scene. The entire incident was captured on security cameras in the village, which is located near the Meitarim Junction and is routinely monitored.

In a separate incident, Palestinian residents reported the torching of a vehicle in the village of Atara, near Ramallah. Vandalism including the words "Only Transfer. Revenge, Ali Zahav, Later" was spray-painted at the scene. Last week, dozens of masked settlers emerged from an illegal outpost near the village of Burqa, also near Ramallah. They burned agricultural fields, hurled stones using a makeshift slingshot, set fires within the village, and in one instance, a settler was seen firing a handgun towards residents before they fled. The IDF is investigating this incident, and police have opened an investigation, arresting one suspect.

These events occurred just days after the Supreme Court harshly criticized the state during a hearing concerning settler takeovers of Palestinian homes in the village of Qusra, near Nablus. Justices questioned the alleged lack of law enforcement in the West Bank, with Justice Ofer Grosskopf asking state representatives, "Why are you letting them be there?"

Justice Khaled Kabub joined the criticism, presenting data indicating that "95 percent of complaints are closed," and expressing doubt about the effectiveness of enforcement. He questioned how the presence of soldiers and settlers praying together, and people socializing, aligns with protecting the local population. Justice Kabub further attacked the perceived leniency, asking, "When a criminal boasts about breaking windows, causing immeasurable damage, what kind of enforcement is this? Where is the enforcement in this case?"

Justice Grosskopf directly addressed a police representative, stating, "The feeling is that this is a revolving door. If it weren't like this, the army would have to work less hard. I don't understand the complexity. Once there is a closure order, whoever is there is a criminal. When you catch someone there a second time, what is the problem? Why isn't an indictment filed? If someone is arrested a second time, what else do you need?"

The police representative responded that "there is no such thing as catching a person a second time and not filing an indictment against them." This statement was immediately challenged by the judges, with Justice Kabub stating, "This does not align with the data," and Justice Grosskopf concluding, "It's the same people all the time."