Israeli envoy to US condemns settler violence in West Bank, invokes Torah justice

Israel's Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, has strongly condemned recent violence perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank village of Kusra. Leiter criticized settlers who established an outpost near the village, stating their actions constitute a distortion and desecration of the principle of settling the Land of Israel.

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When a band of rioters wreaks havoc through completely unjustified violence, diverts forces and resources from the IDF and Israel’s law enforcement authorities, and at the same time claims that it is acting for the sake of the land, this is a distortion of the idea of settling the land, and even a desecration of it.

In a post on X/Twitter, Leiter articulated that when a group of rioters causes havoc through unjustified violence, diverting vital resources from the IDF and Israeli law enforcement, their claims of acting for the land are fundamentally flawed. He connected his condemnation to the Jewish commandment of settling the Land of Israel, arguing that this principle carries an inherent responsibility to uphold justice. "What we saw this week in [Kusra], this is not what the commandment to settle the land means," Leiter wrote, referencing the Torah portion "Parashat Shoftim," which commands the appointment of judges and officers to ensure righteous judgment.

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What we saw this week in [Kusra], this is not what the commandment to settle the land means. Perhaps you have heard many people speak about settling the Land of Israel, about the commandment to settle the land. But this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Shoftim, teaches us that this commandment has another, deeper dimension, the Torah commands: ‘You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates that the Lord your God is giving you, for your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.’

Leiter echoed criticism from US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, stating, "You cannot settle the land through destabilizing and disruptive behavior, as my esteemed colleague Mike Huckabee brilliantly put it when he spoke of ‘unsettling behavior.’" He emphasized a profound connection between the pursuit of justice and inheriting the land, asserting that the Torah teaches holding the land is not an end in itself. "Our right to build a national home in it comes with the responsibility to create a society worthy of that home. The Land of Israel is not only a place where we were commanded to dwell, it is a place where we were commanded to live according to justice."

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You cannot settle the land through destabilizing and disruptive behavior, as my esteemed colleague Mike Huckabee brilliantly put it when he spoke of ‘unsettling behavior.’

These remarks came shortly after Defense Minister Israel Katz held a meeting with senior military officials. At the meeting's conclusion, Katz directed the IDF to prepare a plan for transferring all civilian law enforcement authority in the West Bank to the Israel Police. The police are expected to establish a dedicated force with the necessary authorities and budgets to manage civilian matters in the region.

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There is a profound connection between the pursuit of justice and inheriting the land. The Torah teaches us that holding the land is not an end in itself. Our right to build a national home in it comes with the responsibility to create a society worthy of that home. The Land of Israel is not only a place where we were commanded to dwell, it is a place where we were commanded to live according to justice.