What’s behind Netanyahu’s condemnation of this weekend’s settler pogroms?
Over the weekend, coordinated Israeli settler attacks occurred across the occupied West Bank, resulting in injured Palestinians and torched properties, with minimal response from Israeli police and soldiers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned these "criminal acts of violence," attributing them to a "handful of rioters" and promising arrests. However, analysts suggest this condemnation is a calculated political maneuver to distance the broader settlement expansion from international scrutiny and to prevent a Palestinian uprising, as unchecked settler violence could strain military resources. Despite Netanyahu's statements, no arrests were made by Israeli police in connection with the attacks. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the escalation as a systematic policy of forced displacement and colonial expansion.