Finance Minister Smotrich Blames Left-Wing Incitement for Gush Etzion Vehicle Attack

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned a recent vehicle attack targeting pioneers at a farm in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, describing the assailant as a "Jewish anarchist." He attributed the incident directly to what he called an incitement campaign led by former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan and his left-wing allies. Smotrich, who also leads the Religious Zionism party, urged President Isaac Herzog to publicly denounce the internal violence. He further called on Yair Golan, former Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to retract their statements suggesting the farms would be evacuated after the upcoming elections. Smotrich warned that any other response would amount to sanctioning bloodshed against the settlement pioneers.