Henry Bodkin
Israel’s military chiefs have warned that settler expansion and violence in the West Bank are stretching the army to breaking point.
Jewish attacks on Palestinians have spiked since the beginning of the war against Iran to the extent that formerly silent politicians are now warning that the situation undermines Israel’s security and international standing.
At the same time, the government has approved a swath of new settler outposts throughout the occupied territory. This has increased the burden on the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), which has to protect and police the outposts, as it fights a new ground war against Hezbollah, on top of the Iran operation.
The army is obliged to provide protection to Israeli citizens and settlements in the West Bank, as well as ensuring an overall level of security in most of the territory.
At a meeting of Israel’s security cabinet on Thursday, General Eyal Zamir, the IDF chief of staff, issued an urgent warning that the army needed more troops.
“The IDF is going to collapse in on itself,” he said. “I’m raising 10 red flags in front of you. Before long, the IDF will not be ready for its routine missions and the reserve system will not last.”
Israel’s military says it is short of about 12,000 soldiers – about 7000 of them in combat roles.
There are several reasons, including the refusal of most people from the increasingly populous Ultra-Orthodox community to serve.
However, the rapid expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the anti-Palestinian violence, which tends to accompany it, have diverted thousands of troops.
At the same security meeting, Major General Avi Bluth, the chief of Israeli forces in the West Bank, explicitly warned ministers of the strain that policing the territory placed on numbers.
“This is your policy, but it requires security and a full protection package because the reality on the ground has completely changed and that requires manpower,” he reportedly told politicians.
The unusually blunt warnings – swiftly leaked to the press – came after the IDF was forced to divert a whole infantry battalion earmarked for deployment in Lebanon to the West Bank.
Instances of settler violence against Palestinians have escalated dramatically since October 2023.
However, human rights groups have warned that the trend has accelerated even further since the start of Operation Roaring Lion on February 28.
‘We did not establish a Jewish state so that violent gangs could operate within it. I strongly condemn any manifestation of nationalist violence by Jewish extremists in Judea and Samaria.’
Naftali Bennett, former Israeli prime minister
At least seven Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by settlers during more than 100 reports of violent clashes.
It is understood other flashpoints include arson attacks, a serious sexual assault where the victim was molested in front of his family, nighttime rampages through communities by scores of masked men, and the theft and killing of livestock.
In addition to those killed, dozens have been injured and many displaced.
The Israeli body politic traditionally plays down West Bank violence or portrays it as the over-exuberance of a handful of youths.
However, a number of major figures have recently begun to speak out against it.
These include Naftali Bennett, the former prime minister and Benjamin Netanyahu’s main contender, who said last week: “We did not establish a Jewish state so that violent gangs could operate within it.
“I strongly condemn any manifestation of nationalist violence by Jewish extremists in Judea and Samaria.”
He added that the majority of settlers were peaceful.
In an interview this week, Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, bemoaned the damage that settler violence was doing to Israel’s reputation and relationships with allies.
Mainstream journalists and TV news programs have begun speaking of “Jewish terrorism” in a way that previously tended to be the preserve of those on the left.
At the same meeting during which there were warnings of a manpower crisis, the security cabinet reportedly approved the recognition of another 30 “wildcat” outposts, which will all need policing.
Traditionally, the IDF as an institution has been seen as aligned with the more secular part of Israeli society. However, the ideological composition of the army is shifting, making it more religious and nationalist, especially among officers.
Human rights groups frequently present evidence suggesting that troops fail to prevent settler violence and, in some instances, actively go along with it.
Ironically, given the demands that policing the West Bank places on the army, the IDF is increasingly reliant on recruits from the settlements, as they tend to be enthusiastic volunteers.
US President Donald Trump has made it clear that he opposes any formal annexation of the West Bank by Israel, which is the dream of the settler movement.
However, critics argue that this is what is already happening.
Saudi Arabia is among the major Middle Eastern powers that are withholding diplomatic relations with Israel, partly based on the situation in the West Bank.
Contentious issue
The size of the armed forces is becoming an increasingly contentious political issue in Israel. Since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, some reservists have spent hundreds of days on duty, often in combat environments.
Instances of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide are going up, along with resentment towards those who do not enlist.
The ground incursion in southern Lebanon, which could last years if politicians decide to establish a semi-permanent buffer zone, will only increase the demand for troops.
There is also the prospect of a resumption in fighting in Gaza if Hamas fails to disarm.
The frequency of call-ups faced by average Israelis is exacerbated by the fact the government has not yet passed a law that will force the large Ultra-Orthodox community, known as the Haredim, to enlist.
Netanyahu relies on Haredi votes to maintain his governing coalition.
His political opponents and challengers in this year’s general election are using the shortages in troop numbers to criticise him.
Even some in his own Likud Party have expressed their frustration. Dan Illouz, a Knesset member, said: “Being right-wing means, first and foremost, security.
“You can’t demand annexation, settlement and total victory and then let the IDF collapse due to lack of soldiers.”
The Telegraph, London
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