Minister Struk Clashes With Shin Bet Chief Over West Bank Violence

A heated exchange occurred during a meeting of the political-security cabinet between Minister of Settlement Affairs Orit Struk and Shin Bet Director David Zini, concerning violence in the West Bank. Minister Struk accused the security establishment of presenting a biased picture, claiming that Palestinians are attacking shepherds and endangering their lives, while the security forces focus disproportionately on Jewish settlers. She stated, "You present it as if the Arabs are honey and flowing nectar, and only the settlers are the problem. Palestinians attack shepherds, injure them, endanger their lives. Highlight these attacks too, deal with them, and talk about them."

Shin Bet Director Zini countered Struk's claims, stating that Palestinians are not burning Jewish homes and that she is "disconnected" from reality. He emphasized the need for condemnation of violence from all leadership, arguing that such violence harms settlement and security. "We need to see condemnation and denunciation from all leadership," Zini said. Struk responded by asserting that the settlement leadership unequivocally condemns such violence, citing statements from council heads and rabbis, and her own efforts to explain the issue to youth.

Zini pressed Struk on where she has publicly condemned violence, to which she replied that she has done so on various media platforms. The confrontation took place against the backdrop of an attempted attack earlier that day in Benjamin, where a Palestinian assailant allegedly set fire to a vehicle and threatened residents with a knife before being neutralized by locals. Initial assessments suggest two attackers were involved, with one escaping the scene.