Gilad Kariv Accuses Netanyahu of Fueling West Bank Violence to Secure Political Survival

MK Gilad Kariv of the Democratic Party accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately igniting conflict in the West Bank to maintain his political power. In a message addressed to the Arab public and posted in Arabic on Facebook, Kariv claimed Netanyahu has "lost control on all fronts" and is pushing to inflame the situation in Judea and Samaria as part of his political survival strategy. He said Netanyahu’s political partners view this escalation as a decisive step in their broader plan.

Kariv highlighted that since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have worked to undermine and weaken the Palestinian Authority while simultaneously advancing illegal outposts and settlement farms. According to Kariv, the goal of this policy is to create widespread friction between Israelis and Palestinians, forcibly displace Palestinian populations from strategic areas in Area C, and turn the West Bank into a volatile powder keg.

He warned that this approach results in the loss of lives on both sides, Israeli civilians and soldiers as well as Palestinians, and strengthens Hamas and Islamic Jihad’s influence in the West Bank. Kariv also accused Netanyahu and Smotrich of viewing Hamas as an asset and the Palestinian Authority as a burden, a stance he says continues to fuel the ongoing conflict.