Settler violence is turning into a political burden for Netanyahu on the eve of the elections

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The settler attacks, which recently targeted an American journalist and European diplomats in the occupied West Bank, are turning into a political burden on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose opponents accuse him of being lenient with "Jewish terrorism."

The most prominent opposition rivals, such as Gadi Eisenkot (center), Yair Golan (left), and Naftali Bennett (center right), described the attacks as “Jewish terrorism,” despite the great difference in their political orientations.

This term is one of the expressions that the Netanyahu government is reluctant to use when issued by external parties.

In two separate incidents, American photographer Heidi Levin, who is still in the hospital, was attacked by settlers, and a European delegation, which included the highest French official in Jerusalem, was attacked while visiting Palestinian villages east of Ramallah to participate in the olive harvest season.

A number of Palestinians have been killed in daily attacks launched by settlers since the beginning of the year, and their frequency increased during the olive harvest season. These attacks included beatings, physical assault, burning of property, and theft.

Eisenkot, the centrist candidate and former chief of staff, who is considered Netanyahu's most prominent competitor in the October 27 elections, said, "What is happening in the West Bank is Jewish terrorism sponsored by the Israeli government."

Likewise, Yair Golan said, “Jewish terrorism must be fought with an iron fist, just as Palestinian terrorism is fought,” pledging to reimpose order in the West Bank if he comes to power.

Golan visited Levin in the hospital, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog also called her.

For his part, Netanyahu cast doubt on the accounts of the attacks, noting that the mayor of Aulnois-Imery in northern France, Bernard Boudeau (78 years old), who was beaten, is considered a supporter of the pro-Palestinian left.

A statement issued by Netanyahu's office said, "These reports come amid fears of a coordinated campaign to defame Israel and Jewish residents of the West Bank during the annual olive harvest."

Boaz Bismuth, a member of the Knesset from Netanyahu's Likud Party, said in a television interview, "There is no Jewish terrorism" in the West Bank.

Netanyahu had said in a speech he delivered before the United Nations last month, amid mounting international criticism, that the acts of violence were behind a small group of deviant juveniles.

Opinion polls show a decline in the number of Israelis supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state, especially after the October 7, 2023 attack launched by Hamas on southern Israel.

But experts believe that settler violence, which has long been out of political interest in Israel, represents a different issue.

Alon Yakter, professor of political science at Tel Aviv University, said, “Although Israeli society leans to the right, and people do not currently support a regional solution with the Palestinians, there is broad agreement to reject settler violence.”

“This issue has become a weak point for Netanyahu, because he is allied with parties that want to divert the discussion from settler violence to other issues, or to portray those responsible for it as merely a corrupt few,” added Yachter, who specializes in voting patterns.

He explained that settler violence itself is unlikely to be the decisive factor in determining the choices of Israeli voters, but it may affect the two issues that receive the greatest attention among voters, which are security and governance.

He added, "It is better for opposition leaders to portray this violence as evidence of a lack of control and weak governance, which harms Israel's security interests."

Eisenkot pledged to reintroduce administrative detention against Jewish suspects, a procedure that allows Israel to detain a suspect without charging him, and which Israel applies to Palestinians only.

Eisenkot also pledged to use an "iron fist" against anyone who violates the law, and to prevent settlers' incursions and attacks, which include burning Palestinian property.

Since coming to power in 2022, Netanyahu's government, which is considered one of the most right-wing governments in Israel's history, has approved the establishment or legalization of 104 settlements.

More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live across the West Bank, in settlements considered illegal under international law.

As for Merav Zontzin, senior analyst for Israel at the International Crisis Group, she said that the settler attacks would not change the voting results, but they made Netanyahu’s response to them an issue in the elections.

“It is part of a discussion about how Netanyahu actually harms Israeli national security,” she added.

She continued, "Netanyahu's statements make him appear to be largely submissive to the settlement movement, and it seems ridiculous when he simply tries to pretend that these attacks did not actually happen."

But she expressed doubts that any new prime minister in the future would tend to question the settlements themselves.

She said, "Opposition leaders attack the most egregious manifestations of settler violence, but they will not turn the settlement project upside down."