Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN that settler attacks in the West Bank are not reflective of the Israeli government or the “settler community, which condemns them,” but rather “150 or so, what you call, juvenile delinquents.”
He said they are “not from the settler community, which is law-abiding, outstanding citizens who are massacred by Palestinians. It’s 150 or so kids, teens who are brought into the West Bank,” he remarked, adding that authorities “do actually take action against them.”
“I don’t accept vigilantes. Our citizens can’t practice violence, whether Arabs or Jewish. We take action against them with law enforcement. It’s such a tiny group, and when we bring them to court, they are lenient because they are young, and I don’t agree with that,” he said.
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A settler and soldiers in the West Bank village of Jalud. Credit: Itai Ron
A settler and soldiers in the West Bank village of Jalud. Credit: Itai Ron Related Articles
When asked about an American-Palestinian beaten to death by settlers, he told CNN, “We have real investigations. We are a transparent country. We can’t hide crimes here, whether in the army or the police.”
The incident occurred in July 2025, when two Palestinians were killed in an attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah, and at least ten Palestinians were reportedly wounded.
One of the victims, 21-year-old Sayfollah “Saif” Musallet, was visiting from the U.S. and was beaten to death, according to the family, who said that Israeli settlers prevented paramedics from reaching him, and he died before reaching the hospital.
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U.S. President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday. Credit: AFP/SAUL LOEB
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday. Credit: AFP/SAUL LOEB
Speaking at the NATO Summit in Ankara on Tuesday, U.S. President said that selling F-35s to Turkey is “certainly something we will consider,” as Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan said they were “promised five jets.” Netanyahu told CNN that the sale would “destroy the power balance in the Middle East,” describing Ankara as “a regime that’s infected with the Muslim Brotherhood, which hates the United States.”
“He’s not exactly a model ally of the United States,” Netanyahu told CNN, describing Erdogan. “He threatens to destroy my country, the one and only Jewish state.”