President Herzog Condemns Nationalist Crime in West Bank

President Isaac Herzog visited the Judea and Samaria Division (IDF Central Command) on Wednesday, addressing the issue of nationalist crime in the region. "No one can take the law into their own hands," Herzog stated, emphasizing that such actions severely damage Israel's reputation and harm the settlement enterprise. He described the ongoing violence as a "stain on its face."

Hersog met with the commander of the Judea and Samaria Division, Brigadier General Kobi Heller, and received an operational briefing on the security challenges in the area. He thanked the IDF, police, and Shin Bet for their efforts against terrorism, calling the fight "relentless and determined."

However, the President highlighted that alongside counter-terrorism efforts, nationalist crime is a deeply concerning phenomenon. "These phenomena undermine our ability to function as a state, harm our ability to exercise sovereignty and the rule of law," he said. Herzog urged the political echelon to provide security forces with the necessary tools to combat this issue, stating, "This cannot continue. We must give all the tools, and the political echelon must provide all the tools so that this phenomenon stops."

He added that legal and other measures can be implemented to halt and curb this behavior, asserting that it is neither "Jewish nor Israeli." The President also commented on a serious incident involving a Flydubai flight that landed in Saudi Arabia after intervention by Israeli passengers, calling it a "great miracle and heroism" and pledging to investigate the event with the UAE.