Zaharia Zubeidi and MK Gilad Kariv Both Visit West Bank Village Amid Controversy

In the West Bank settlement area of Binyamin, visits by former militant Zaharia Zubeidi and Israeli MK Gilad Kariv to the same location in the village of Kocra within 24 hours have sparked significant outrage among settlers. About two weeks ago, headlines accused settlers of "Jewish terror" after a tent was erected near an Arab home in Kocra, but media coverage overlooked the identities of those supporting the Palestinian villagers.

Last week, Zaharia Zubeidi, former commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, met with local leadership including Kocra's mayor, Abd al-Azim Wadi. Zubeidi urged the Palestinian Authority to increase funding and support to strengthen their presence on the land. Less than a day later, MK Gilad Kariv and fellow Democratic Party member Nimrod Shafir, accompanied by representatives from Peace Now, visited the same spot. Kariv posted footage on his X account showing him speaking with a nearby property owner and sharply criticizing the Israeli government's policies and settler actions, calling the situation a "moral disgrace and security abandonment."

Coalition sources responded by highlighting the shared support of Zubeidi and Kariv for the Palestinian village, warning that if a left-wing government led by Gadi Eizenkot forms, Kariv's party would be senior partners alongside Mansour Abbas, who has refused to condemn the October 7 massacre. They argued this alliance fuels right-wing fears that such a government would effectively establish a "terror state" within Israel.

The incident underscores the deep political and security tensions in the West Bank, with opposing narratives about settler violence and Palestinian resistance continuing to inflame the debate ahead of potential government changes.