TEL AVIV, March 25, 2026 (WAFA) – Former ambassadors and senior officials in the Israeli diplomatic corps have called on the Israeli government to immediately halt colonists’ violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
In a petition signed by more than 90 former ambassadors and diplomats, the officials urged the Government of Israel to take all necessary measures to put an immediate end to the acts of violence targeting the Palestinian population in the West Bank and to take urgent and decisive action against the perpetrators of those criminal acts.
They stressed that this unacceptable violence, escalating under the cover of war, fundamentally contradicts the most basic principles of good governance and morality and constitutes a flagrant violation of international and Israeli law. They added that the absence of any adequate response from the leadership can only be interpreted as implicit support for these actions. In some cases, the petition noted, this impression is further reinforced by the involvement of soldiers without uniforms and the use of state-provided equipment.
They continued, according to the petition, that as officials who dedicated their lives to defending the State in international forums, they express deep concern over the continuous deterioration of Israel’s international standing, the negative impact of these practices on its foreign relations, and the severe damage to the State’s image as an entity founded on the rule of law and the centrality of moral values.
They demanded that the Israeli government—starting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and including the ministers of foreign affairs and army—issue an explicit and unequivocal condemnation of these criminal acts and the assault on innocent civilians, and call for the elimination of this disgraceful phenomenon without leniency.
In a related context, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, stated that the escalation of extremist colonists’ violence against Palestinians in the West Bank constitutes a stain that damages Israel's image and costs it friends and allies. He expressed anger at the failure so far to stop this phenomenon, despite asserting that serious efforts are being made to address it.
In an interview published by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday, Leiter said he was very angry about the riots committed by colonists in the West Bank, adding that a small group of a few hundred people is tarnishing the entire project while everyone remains silent.
In contrast, extremist minister Itamar Ben-Gvir renewed his support for colonists’ violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, despite international criticism, including from the United States.
In a radio interview on Wednesday, Ben-Gvir said he supports the right of people to defend themselves and encourages police officers to shoot anyone who throws stones at them, saying he considers such action justified.
He claimed, in his words, that most incidents in the West Bank are acts of self-defense, describing them as clashes triggered by Arab attacks on Jews, in which he claims the victims were merely defending themselves—a response he characterized as entirely natural.
A.D./T.R.
