IDF Fails to Protect a Palestinian Family or Rein In Settlers Near Qusra (Marc Schulman)

From Marc Schulman's Substack today:

The major story in Israel today is one that, until now, had received remarkably little attention: the ongoing terror campaign of violence and intimidation by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. Today, the story moved to the center of the national agenda when the IDF intervened, and failed.

It begins in the West Bank village of Qusra, south of Nablus, where a group of settlers established an illegal outpost that blocked access to the entrance of a Palestinian family’s home. The settlers effectively trapped the family inside, preventing them from coming and going in an apparent effort to force them to leave.

The army finally decided to intercede. Central Command chief, Avi Bluth arrived with a group of soldiers to remove the settlers and restore the family’s access to their home. The settlers confronted the soldiers and blocked the road. The army withdrew.

So, despite all its strength, the IDF was unable to clear a path for a Palestinian family to enter and leave its own home in the face of resistance from a group of settlers.

We keep hearing from Prime Minister Netanyahu and others that those responsible for settler violence are “a small group of delinquents” who come from across the country and do not necessarily live in the settlements.

Tonight, however, I heard something that did not fit Netanyahu’s reassuring characterization. A man in his fifties spoke proudly of having sent his sons to block the army and drive the Palestinians from their homes. “This is the way we regain control of the Land of Israel,” he said. I fear he is not alone. The IDF Chief of Staff has now ordered additional troops into the West Bank to bring the settler violence under control.

.... Do any of the settlers who attack Palestinians, including those who attacked soldiers today, end up in jail? No. That lack of consequences is a large part of the problem. It is time to stop describing settler violence as the wayward actions of a handful of fringe kids and recognize it as something broader and far more deeply rooted.