Former Israeli prime minister accuses government of backing 'murderous' settler violence

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert says 'Jewish terrorists', who are waging a 'war' against West Bank Palestinians, are backed by Israeli officials, the police and the army

Former Israeli Prime minister Ehud Olmert takes part in an 'Is Peace in Gaza possible?' roundtable during the La Toja Forum in Galicia, Spain, on 4 October 2025 (Miguel Riopa/AFP)

Jan. 2, 2026 - Israel's former prime minister has accused the Israeli government of actively enabling "murderous" settler violence in the occupied West Bank, days after Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to downplay the surge in attacks amid growing US scrutiny.

In an article published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Friday, Ehud Olmert said that violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians wasn't just the work of fringe extremists but a coordinated campaign enabled by politicians, police and military authorities.

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