Settler leaders denounce Kusra violence: ‘This is not our way’

Senior settler leaders have publicly condemned the violence that occurred in the Palestinian village of Kusra, asserting that such actions do not represent their community and are causing significant harm.

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The events in Kusra are serious and are not our way.

Yisrael Ganz, chairman of the Yesha Council and head of the Binyamin Regional Council, stated that there is no justification for violence against uninvolved Palestinians or Israeli security forces. "The events in Kusra are serious and are not our way," Ganz said, adding that establishing outposts on private property or resorting to violence is unacceptable.

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There is no place for privately deciding to establish a hilltop outpost in the yard of a house, even when it is an illegal house or there is an attempt to take control of the area.

Shai Alon, head of the Beit El Council, described those responsible for attacking innocent Palestinians as criminals causing "irreversible damage" to Israel and the settlement movement. He warned for years about a group of "lost youth" in the West Bank, criticizing the state for not adequately addressing the problem before it escalated to violence.

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There is absolutely no justification for violence against uninvolved people or against the security forces.

Alon also directed criticism at National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech, suggesting the extremists are politically aligned with them. He argued that more pressure should have been applied to prevent the "terrible and horrific scenes" and criticized the Israel Police for not doing enough, while backing the IDF's response to the recent events. Alon emphasized that West Bank municipal leaders are united against this violence, which he believes is perpetrated by a small group not representative of the broader settlement movement.

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These are criminal offenders who take out their rage on an innocent population.