https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2022/02/fighting-libel-settler-violence-arlene-kushner/
There are many outrageous charges leveled at Israel by Palestinian Arabs and their supporters on the political left. Advanced without concern for veracity, the charges enter public awareness by way of constant repetition.
Now a new charge has emerged: “settler violence.”
Rather than being directed at all of Israel’s Jews, this one focuses on those who live in Judea & Samaria. Within this population of “settlers,” it is said, there are young men who act violently towards innocent Arabs. This phenomenon is identified as a growing problem of serious concern.
Among those who give voice to this accusation are left-wing elements inside of Israel: officials, such as Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue & White) and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid), and some portion of the Israeli media. In the international community it comes – unsurprisingly – from the UN and the EU, as well as the US. The State Department report on terrorism released in late December included the outrageous contention that this was one of the causes of Palestinian Arab violence.
We can, however, identify significant problems with the ways in which “settler violence” is researched:
○ Frequently there is a failure to confirm that alleged attacks really happened as charged, and that those doing the attacking really were Jews living in Judea & Samaria.
○ Very often there is no attempt to consider the broader context of the alleged violence.
○ International entities often rely on information from notoriously biased left-wing NGOs.
Nor is it difficult to discern the agendas at work:
□ Attempts are made to equate the severity of alleged attacks by “settlers” with attacks on Jews by Palestinian Arabs. Presumably, this redirects attention and mitigates distress about Arab attacks.