Kobi Eliraz Supports Outposts but Warns Against Violence Undermining Settlements
Kobi Eliraz, a former adviser on settlement affairs to several Israeli defense ministers, strongly supports the establishment of outposts, emphasizing their role in strengthening Jewish presence and control over open areas in the West Bank. He credits these outposts with halting unilateral Palestinian takeovers and turning governance vacuums into actual territorial control. Eliraz praises the dedication of pioneering families and youth who maintain daily presence and familiarity with the land, which he sees as the key to long-term success.
However, Eliraz warns that violence, confrontations with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and unilateral actions inside Arab villages do not strengthen the settlement enterprise but rather endanger its achievements. He stresses that settlers should avoid conflicts with the IDF and security forces, operate only in open areas, and refrain from enforcement or force against local Arab populations except in clear self-defense situations. He condemns the recent shooting attack and the automatic blaming of settlers for incitement, distinguishing between peaceful supporters of outposts and violent extremists.
Eliraz outlines several principles: settlement decisions are primarily a national and public matter under political leadership; settlers do not have absolute ownership or trading rights over the land; respect for security forces is essential; and personal protests involving life risks should not pressure the state or public. He criticizes a small anarchistic youth faction engaging in vandalism and violence, which harms the settlement cause and diverts military resources from combating terrorists.
He calls for effective measures, including administrative restraining orders, to prevent such lawlessness amid weak policing in the West Bank. Eliraz underscores that outposts supplement but do not replace the IDF’s sovereign role. He rejects collective labeling of Arabs as terrorists and insists that only official security forces should enforce law and order. According to him, violent "price tag" actions lack public consensus and fuel international opposition to settlements.
Eliraz concludes that strengthening settlements requires presence, persistence, responsibility, discipline, and understanding of the collective mission, with less conflict and more constructive work. He wishes success to all involved in this complex task.
