A resident of the Havat Gilad outpost in the West Bank, Yehuda Shimon, has stated that recent attacks on neighboring Palestinian villages were justified as retaliation for the death of an Israeli security guard. The guard was killed during a confrontation last Friday that also resulted in the deaths of four Palestinians and one Israeli soldier.
During an interview with the BBC, Shimon, a lawyer who represents Israelis arrested for violence against Palestinians, expressed extreme views regarding the conflict. When asked about the disparity between the loss of one Israeli life and the potential loss of many Palestinian lives, Shimon claimed that one Jewish life is worth "10 million" Palestinians. He further stated, "If you don't want to make peace with us, and you don't want to get out, I don't have a choice: I must kill you, and I kill you all."
Havat Gilad is an unauthorized outpost established over two decades ago. While the Israeli government has previously expressed intentions to legalize such outposts, organizations like Peace Now note that much of the land is recognized as privately owned by Palestinians. Under international law, both official settlements and unauthorized outposts in the West Bank are considered illegal.
The rhetoric from Shimon aligns with broader tensions in the region, where violence has escalated. UN data indicates that 64 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank between the start of the year and July 20, with 18 of those deaths occurring during settler attacks. Conversely, one Israeli was reported killed during the same period.
Palestinian residents in the vicinity of the outpost reported feeling unprotected and abandoned by the international community. Meanwhile, Shimon criticized the Israeli government and military for not being aggressive enough in their actions against Palestinians, arguing that the state's failure to use lethal force more frequently has endangered Jewish residents.
Source: BBC News
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.