Reservist Battalion Commander Defends Soldiers After West Bank Settler Violence Campaign

A reservist battalion commander serving in Samaria sent a letter to his troops after an online campaign targeting soldiers in his unit who acted against Jewish rioters in Judea and Samaria. The letter was obtained Sunday by Kan News. The commander, who was assaulted by rioters and later underwent surgery on his hand, said the public claims present a “partial and distorted” picture and cast doubt on commanders and soldiers who acted lawfully against violent criminal activity, riots, and conduct that required security forces to intervene.

“I want to say clearly: I give full backing to the commanders and fighters who acted in the incident,” he wrote. “They acted as expected of them and are receiving full backing from the entire chain of command, up to the highest levels.” He added that commanders must make decisions in real time, under pressure and in a complicated reality, and that any complaint should be examined by authorized mechanisms, based on facts, not through public debate, rumors, or media campaigns.

According to the report, the commander was injured during an attack by Jewish rioters and required surgery on his hand because of a broken little finger. In that incident, rioters blocked the Tapuah Junction, turned vehicles around, and threw stones at them. He was rushed to the scene and was hurt in the attack.

The article says violence against security forces in Judea and Samaria has risen in recent weeks. Two weeks ago on Thursday, Israelis attacked a Border Police fighter in the village of Qusra and broke a toe. That same day, dozens of Jewish rioters blocked and surrounded a reservist soldier during an attempt to disperse a gathering in the village of Jurish, breaking the mirror on his vehicle and climbing onto it. In a separate incident, rioters blocked Tapuah Junction again and pushed troops who had arrived to disperse the crowd. At the end of May, Israelis threw stones at IDF forces in the village of Madaa. The IDF spokesman said security forces “strongly condemn violence of any kind” and are committed to law and order, adding that the army views violence against its soldiers and commanders with severity and condemns it unequivocally.