They are silent when the settlers from Yitzhar routinely burn the fields of their Palestinian neighbors and beat up the landowners. They never utter a word when Jewish thugs injure Israeli volunteers who come to the West Bank to accompany Palestinian farmers and shepherds to protect them against settler violence and the theft of their lands, carried out under the auspices of the state and its security forces. Apparently, their moral compass sees a settler who kicks an elderly Palestinian woman who dared harvest her olive trees differently from settlers who throw stones at soldiers. For them, breaking the arm of a Jewish leftist who comes to help an elderly Palestinian woman is not the same as hurting an Israeli soldier sent to protect the Jewish settlers.
On a good day, the beating of an elderly Palestinian woman and of a peace activist are relegated to a short note on page 12 of the daily paper. An Israeli soldier injured by rioters in the settlement of Yitzhar is a whole other story, fodder for top headlines. Politicians on the right and left, including the right-wing apologists for the radical settlers, were quick to condemn the violence. IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi warned, "It is inconceivable that IDF soldiers, who spend their days in defense of the settlers, would be attacked by those protected by them.’’ Even Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took time out from his busy schedule to announce that he “strengthens the hands of the IDF fighters and commanders who work night and day to protect the safety of all Israeli citizens, without exception.”
