Key facts
- Israeli settler Yehuda Shimon stated that attacks on Palestinian villages were justified as revenge for the killing of an Israeli security guard.
- Shimon claimed one Jewish life is worth 10 million Palestinians and accused media of bias.
- Data shows 64 Palestinians killed in the West Bank this year, with 18 killed during settler attacks.
- Shimon's views align with a 2017 plan by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for the West Bank.
- Palestinians in the region feel unprotected and abandoned by the international community.
An Israeli settler in the occupied West Bank has stated that attacks on Palestinian villages are justified as revenge for the killing of an Israeli security guard. Yehuda Shimon, speaking to the BBC from the Havat Gilad outpost, claimed that one Jewish life is worth 10 million Palestinians, a statement he acknowledged as racist but attributed to divine choice.
Shimon's comments come after a wave of settler attacks on Palestinian villages following the death of an Israeli security guard from Havat Gilad during a confrontation. He explicitly stated that villages near the outpost should be attacked in retaliation. He also accused the global media of buying into the Palestinian narrative and alleged that Palestinians are heavily armed and preparing for further attacks.
Data from the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicates that 64 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank between January 1 and July 20, with 18 of those deaths occurring during settler attacks. At least 12 were killed by settlers, and the number of injuries inflicted by settlers has risen sharply. In contrast, one Israeli was killed in the West Bank during the same period.
Shimon outlined three options for Palestinian residents: live quietly under Israeli rule, voluntarily emigrate, or be killed if they resist. These views echo a 2017 blueprint by Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, which proposed Palestinians give up national ambitions or face consequences, including potential killing if they engaged in armed struggle. Smotrich has also advocated for the "voluntary migration" of Palestinians from Gaza.
Palestinians living near Havat Gilad expressed feelings of being unprotected by the Israeli army, which they believe prioritizes settler protection, and feeling abandoned by the international community due to global conflicts and disinterest. The report highlights the stark disparity in legal status and freedom of movement between Israeli settlers and Palestinian residents in the West Bank.