Israel DM slams settler violence, attacks Ben-Gvir

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant yesterday condemned escalating settler violence against Palestinians and attacked National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Akka news website reported.

According to Israeli Channel 13, Gallant criticised settler violence and Jewish terrorism in the occupied West Bank, considering this “a dangerous threat [that] must be treated.”

This came during a security meeting, where Ben-Gvir called for more checkpoints to be set-up throughout the occupied West Bank, closures and partial lockdowns on Palestinian villages and to rescind entry permits for Palestinian workers, Israel Hayom reported.

He also called to tighten the conditions of Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails as well as carrying out targeted assassinations of Palestinian resistance leaders in the occupied West Bank.

Gallant pushed back, saying: “There is a danger of friction and you have to pay attention to it. It used to be a few dozen [fighters] and today it is already hundreds.”

Ben-Gvir replied: “I have started to think we are in Switzerland. Have we got crazy?”

READ: Ben-Gvir seeks to end defence minister’s ‘soft’ policy against Palestinians