Historian Kobi Barda Criticizes Netanyahu Over Kousra Settler Siege and U.S. Reactions

Dr. Kobi Barda, an American politics historian, spoke on 103FM radio about the recent unrest involving settlers and the Israeli military in the West Bank village of Kousra. He stated that "Netanyahu of a few years ago would not have allowed the siege in Kousra to happen," highlighting a shift in political tolerance toward settler actions. Barda expressed shock at the use of the term "terrorists" to describe the settlers, noting that in the U.S., officials are questioning the origins and future of such events, given the belief that lands in the West Bank are guaranteed to the Israeli people.

The incident involved dozens of settlers imposing a siege on two homes in Kousra, located in Area B, leading to confrontations with the Israeli army, who began evacuating the siege yesterday. The settlers dismantled fences and blocked roads in an area declared a closed military zone. Central Command Chief Aviv Blot visited the site to oversee the operation, spoke with Palestinians, and urged settlers to leave and not interfere with the military efforts.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Herzog denied reports that the White House intervened directly in the Kousra event but confirmed that he and the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem were involved and had requested Israeli authorities to act. The episode has drawn sharp criticism from the U.S. administration and raised concerns about the handling of settler violence and its implications for Israeli-Palestinian relations.