Media Releases

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) today condemned the escalating violence committed by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank.

AIJAC Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein AM said, “Israel is a rule of law country, and among the overwhelmingly peaceful and law-abiding settler community, there is a small number of violent, extremist people who regularly attack Palestinian individuals, property and crops for nationalist reasons. What’s more, figures confirm that these attacks have been escalating in recent months, including some particularly heinous attacks on innocent Palestinians and their property in the Nablus-Tulkarem area last week.

“AIJAC has long condemned these violent and indefensible actions and continues to do so. We welcome the recent strong comments by Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir condemning this violence and promising to stop it.  We call on all relevant Israeli authorities to do even more to prioritise investigating these crimes and prosecuting any and all who commit them,” Dr Rubenstein concluded.