Israeli Settler Lawyer Advocates Killing All Palestinians in Four West Bank Villages After Deadly Clash

Shimon Yehuda, a resident of the Gilad Farm settlement and lawyer for the organization Honenu, sparked controversy in a BBC interview published on Saturday. He stated that following the killing of one Israeli, "we need to kill all the residents in the villages of Tal, Al-Sara, Jit, and Far'ata." Yehuda emphasized that the value of one Jewish life equals that of "ten million Palestinians," asserting this as a divine truth and acknowledging the statement as racist.

The remarks came in the context of a deadly incident last Friday in the village of Tal near Nablus, where a group of Jewish visitors clashed with local Palestinians. The confrontation resulted in the death of Binyahu Malat, a member of the Gilad Farm security team, as well as Major Yuval Ezra and four Palestinian villagers. Yehuda defended subsequent settler attacks on Palestinian villages, criticizing the Israeli government and military for insufficiently supporting Jewish land claims and for not using enough lethal force against Palestinians during conflicts. He compared the government and army to the United Nations, accusing them of failing to protect Israelis.

The BBC report cited UN OCHA data showing that since early 2026, 18 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with settlers, with at least 12 deaths directly caused by settlers. Over the recent weekend, reports emerged of settler violence including the assault of an elderly Palestinian couple in Beitillu near Ramallah, who were hospitalized with moderate injuries, and masked settlers attacking a home and setting a family car on fire in Surif near Hebron, with no reported casualties.

Yehuda also dismissed international law, claiming the Bible grants Jews the right to live in Judea and Samaria. His statements and the ongoing settler violence highlight escalating tensions and violence in the West Bank, with no immediate resolution in sight.