Israel's Envoy to US Condemns Jewish Vandals in West Bank

Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter has strongly condemned Jewish vandals in the West Bank, stating, "We must stop them." Speaking on CNN, Leiter also shared personal details about his son Neria, who was severely injured in a car-ramming attack. He described Neria as being "wrapped in love and prayers 24 hours a day."

Leiter addressed the recent assault on Washington Post reporter Heidi Levine, who was allegedly beaten and kicked for 10 minutes by assailants armed with bottles and slingshots. The ambassador emphasized that such violence is "completely unacceptable" and that perpetrators will be brought to justice. He acknowledged that the state needs to do more to prosecute Jewish offenders, noting Prime Minister Netanyahu's determination to end the phenomenon.

Leiter presented statistics indicating that 26 Jews were killed by Palestinian terrorists in 2025, compared to two Arabs killed by Jewish assailants. He characterized the Jewish perpetrators as a marginal group of 50 to 200 individuals among the approximately 600,000 Jewish residents in the West Bank, reiterating, "They must be stopped. They will be arrested. They will be brought to justice."

Regarding domestic politics, Leiter addressed the diplomatic challenge of representing Israel when the Prime Minister expresses a desire to form the same coalition after the elections, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Leiter stated that Netanyahu seeks a broad national unity government and clarified that Ben-Gvir would not serve as Defense Minister or National Security Minister again, describing him as primarily a "representative figure."

On foreign policy, Leiter outlined three conditions for regional stability concerning Iran: preventing nuclear weapons, limiting ballistic missiles, and ending support for proxies. He noted Iran's transfer of approximately $200 million to Hezbollah in the last three months despite its economic struggles, expressing a desire to see the Iranian regime fall and the people regain their country.

Concluding the interview, Leiter commented on the relationship between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump, describing their "deep friendship of about 40 years" based on his observations during several meetings. He stressed that Israel does not interfere in US domestic politics and affirmed an excellent relationship between the two leaders.