Breaking the Silence

Our friends and partners at @rabbis4HR have been attacked by settler terrorists. IDF soldiers were present during the attack. IDF-backed settler violence is devastating Palestinian communities across the West Bank. Those who stand in solidarity with Palestinians are also coming under attack. Last month, the UN recorded 457 settler attacks against Palestinians, the highest monthly total since records began in 2006. This surge in terror is no coincidence.

For 80,000 to 100,000 Palestinian families in the West Bank, olives are a major source of income. And that's why, for decades, olive groves have been targeted by settler terrorists and the IDF. More than 300 Palestinians have been injured since the olive harvest began.

This wave of settler violence wouldn't be possible without the IDF's support. In many cases Palestinians are attacked right before soldiers' eyes. The attackers got protection. The Palestinians they attacked got stun grenades and arrests from the IDF.

This wave of terror serves a broader goal: the ethnic cleansing and annexation of the West Bank. Through terror and destroyed livelihoods, Palestinians are forced off their land. Since October 2023, over 4,700 Palestinians, roughly half of them children, have been ethnically cleansed by settler terrorists.

“I never saw any settler arrested even though it was very, very clear that settlers had started the acts of violence and they were invading territory that was not theirs.”

A soldier who previously testified to us spoke to the Washington Post. Here are some excerpts from their testimony:

“It [settler terror] was something that was very organized; ‘This is what you are supposed to do. In every incident I witnessed, I never saw any settler arrested even though it was very, very clear that settlers had started the acts of violence and they were invading territory that was not theirs.”

After October 2023, the IDF armed more than 7,000 settlers who enlisted in its “regional defence units” (known in Hebrew as Hagmar). Formally, these units are subordinate to the IDF, but, in practice, operated as independent settler militias.

“The soldier who served in the South Hebron Hills described Hagmar units operating as an authority unto themselves. He saw them set up rogue checkpoints, and search Palestinian cars. In one case, he witnessed them blindfold and zip-tie the civilians, leaving them in the sun for hours.”

The IDF gave rifles and unchecked authority to people with a history of hate crimes against Palestinians. Hagmar soldiers carried out deadly attacks against Palestinians and actively participated in the ongoing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

Backing settler terror is Israel’s deliberate policy aimed at advancing ethnic cleansing and annexation of the West Bank. That is why the IDF arms and protects settler terrorists, who are virtually never arrested. This policy is rooted in the occupation, an inherently immoral system that makes life safer for no one between the river and the sea. The occupation must be abolished.

washingtonpost.com/world/2026/11/…

Settlers move into Palestinian homes on the outskirts of Jericho, a Palestinian city in the West Bank. If they stay, their presence will have devastating consequences for the city residents. The IDF has already sent three platoons to guard the settlers.

As settlements pop up or expand, they also draw in a heavy military deployment, while new or larger “security buffer zones” appear. These zones are areas near settlements that Palestinians are barred from entering without the IDF’s permission.

If the security buffer extends onto private Palestinian land, as it often does, Palestinians would be forced to navigate a complex bureaucratic system each time they seek access. Constant military deployment would also subject Palestinians to intensified repression: more checkpoints, more arrests, more home invasions at night, and more searches on the streets. Additionally, as settlements expand, Palestinians living in their vicinity face an increased risk of becoming the next targets of ethnic cleansing by their new neighbors.

According to IDF leaks reported in the Israeli media, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the IDF commander responsible for the entire West Bank, was directly involved in assisting the settlers in Jericho. He allegedly knew about the settlers’ plans and even instructed them not to inform local military officers until after they had moved in. Both the IDF and Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth later denied the allegation, but it remains an indisputable fact that there are settlers in Jericho, protected by the IDF. Moreover, the IDF is known to have a special unit dedicated to coordinating the establishment of settler farms. Avi Bluth, who established this unit, famously declared that these farms, which have been responsible for the ethnic cleansing of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank, are part of the IDF’s doctrine.

How does bringing settlers into a Palestinian city contribute to Israeli security, you may ask? It absolutely does not. The real goal is ethnic cleansing and the annexation of the West Bank, which will only lead to more violence. The only way to ensure security for everyone living between the river and the sea is to end the occupation.

“This is the first day of rain, and of course we are already flooded. What will happen if it rains again the next day? This is only the first day and we're already overwhelmed.”

People in Gaza are forced to live in overcrowded tent camps, where winter rains have proved to be lethal. All the while, Israel restricts the entrance of essential aid to the Sector.

Full article: haaretz.com/gaza/2026-11-0…

The IDF killed 30 Palestinians in Gaza in the past week. Since the “ceasefire” began, the IDF has killed an average of four Palestinians and wounded 15 others in Gaza every day.

In total, since the beginning of the “ceasefire,” the IDF has killed 1,610 Palestinians and injured another 5,819.