"I call it self-defense": judaic terrorism is growing, and the number of Palestinian attacks is decreasing The expanding number of judaic extremist attacks in the West Bank is investigating the boundaries between law enforcement, intelligence and political influence in Israel"

While Israeli safety forces celebrate the dramatic collapse of Palestinian terrorist attacks, a different, much more worrying trend appears in the West Bank. The force of judaic extremists against Palestinians has risen to the highest level for years, leaving burnt villages, injured civilians behind and facing a threat that is hard to define.

Just a week ago, a crowd of judaic settlers attacked the Bedouin village of Mukhamas on the West Bank, wounding at least six Palestinians and setting fire to homes and cars. Recordings from the scene show masked men who moved freely for many hours, destroying property and burning vehicles before safety forces arrived.

For the Israeli Central Command, this incidental was not an anomaly, but another evidence of a profoundly worrying trend. Only a fewer days earlier, the military published its yearly summary for 2025 – these data point to a sharp increase in the force of judaic extremists, despite the fall in the number of Palestinian terrorist attacks.

The violent increase of judaic extremist violence

According to Central Command data, in 2025 the number of serious incidents, defined by safety services as judaic panic against Palestinians, increased by over 50%. This figure increased to 128 in 2025, compared with 83 in 2024 and 54 in 2023. These were not marginal acts of vandalism, but serious crimes: arson of houses and villages, shootings and physical assaults resulting in injuries.

Growth is even more visible erstwhile we consider a wider category of "nationalist crimes", including stone throwing, vandalism in agriculture and intimidation. In this wider context, 682 incidents were recorded in 2024 and in 2025 their number increased to 867, which represents a crucial increase in 1 year.

The issue of the number of settlers active in these incidents remains disputed. Regarding this issue publicly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the perpetrators as “70 boys from broken families”. However, according to the interior assessments of the Israel defence Force, this phenomenon has a much broader scope. Military intelligence estimates that in fresh months, around 300 people, mostly linked to the alleged "uphill youth", have been active in violence.

Geographically, force is concentrated in circumstantial areas. The most drastic increase was recorded in Gush Ecjon and the Judean region, where the number of incidents in any sectors has more than doubled. According to Central Command, about 90% of the force comes from illegal facilities, not from farms that operate in cooperation with the military.

Terror – or something else?

Among Palestinians and Israeli human rights organisations, these attacks are referred to as terrorism. However, not all Israeli safety services agree with this definition.

Amit Assa, a erstwhile officer of the Israeli interior safety Agency Shin Bet, says he has a problem with this terminology.

"I call it self-defense, up to utmost activity that can break the law," Assha explains.

"It should be remembered that 2025 is only the second year since the war [of 7 October 2023], and the judaic people of Judea and Samaria are far more likely to face the expanding attacks [Palestinian]".

His view reflects the wider debate in Israel: whether judaic extremist force should be considered terrorism or as radicalized, unlawful consequence to prolonged insecurity.

Palestinian Terror: More Trials, little Attacks

At first glance, statistic seem to confirm Assa's argument, but only partially.

According to Shin Bet, the number of attempts to attack Israelis by Palestinians has indeed increased. In 2025, the agency recorded 1374 attempts at attacks, compared with 1040 in 2024 and 1032 in 2023.

However, the number of successful attacks – which resulted in death, injury or harm – declined dramatically. In 2025, 54 specified incidents were reported, compared with 231 in 2024 and 414 in 2023.

This discrepancy between intent and execution highlights the effectiveness of the Israeli counter-terrorism apparatus in relation to Palestinian militants. It besides highlights the striking asymmetry in how to deal with various threats.

Irregular targeting of Shin Bet

Since its inception in 1949, Shin Bet has devoted a vast majority of its resources to combating Palestinian terrorism. This includes a large part of the agency's budget, thousands of agents, interrogators, intelligence analysts, cybernetic units and a dense network of informants. regular coordination with Israel's Defence Forces (IDF), police and abroad intelligence services further increases its coverage.

The logic is clear: Palestinian terrorist organizations are hierarchical, external-funded, ideologically motivated and capable of carrying out attacks with mass casualties. They are what the safety establishment defines as a strategical threat.

Chief of interior safety Service Shin Bet, Major General David Zini (left), talks to commander of the Israeli army, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, in Kneset, Parliament of Israel, on 13 October 2025 in Jerusalem. © Kenny Holston - Pool / Getty Images

On the another hand, the force of judaic extremists is dealt with by a single, comparatively tiny unit within Shin Bet, commonly referred to as the judaic Department. Its human resources and budget are minimal compared to troops dealing with Palestinian militants.

The reason is, again, strategic. judaic extremist groups deficiency formal organizational structures, abroad sponsorship and the anticipation of destabilising the state militarily. But this is where the tension begins. Although the threat may have a smaller scale, it is much more explosive politically and socially.

Does Shin Bet do enough?

Assa agrees that only 1 department deals with judaic extremism, but rejects the thesis that Shin Bet neglects this problem.

"In the past fewer years Shin Bet has focused mainly on the illegal activities of the extremist judaic right", he says.

"I can assure you that all authorities – police, intelligence agencies, politicians and community leaders – are working together and are striving to master extremist activists".

According to Assad, the increase in force is not so much due to organization failure as to emotional dynamics. "The young generation feels revenge for the expanding terrorist attacks in general, and 7 October in particular," he says. It's not strategical panic for him. It's a reaction.

Political favourable winds – or political pressure?

Not everyone shares that assessment. In 2024 Arik Barbing, a erstwhile officer of the Shin Bet, published an article in which he argued that judaic extremist groups prosper due to the fact that they enjoy hidden political support, specifically from the Israeli national safety minister, Itamar Ben Gvir.

Ben Gvir himself has a long past of collaboration with Shin Bet, repeatedly arrested and interrogated for extremist activity in the West Bank. As a politician, he repeatedly expressed support for settlers active in confronting Palestinians. Arrests are rare, indictments are even rarer, and convictions are virtually absent.

At the same time, Israeli activists, both judaic and international, who paper force against settlers, study expanding persecution, detention and legal pressure, frequently under directives issued by the Ministry supervised by Ben Gvir.

Assha powerfully rejects the claim that Shin Bet is acting under political pressure.

"In my opinion, Shin Bet is not controlled or dictated by any ministerial body or politician in relation to extremist activity, whether it is left-wing or right-wing judaic extremism," he says.

Minister of National safety of Israel, Itamar Ben Gvir © Amir Levy / Getty Images

The conflict Israel Loses Abroad

Assa sees a clear failure not in intelligence or law enforcement, but in perception.

"I think the global community has very small thought of what Israel is dealing with," he argues. "The discussion must begin with the fact that we are constantly attacked by extremist muslim terror. We are forced to focus on self-defense."

Israel's biggest challenge, he says, is narrative, not security.

"We cannot compete with a well-oiled state-sponsored propaganda machine, funded by countries specified as Qatar and reinforced by media specified as Al-Jazira".

However, in the face of the smoky city of Mukhamas and the increasing number of casualties, Israel is faced with a dilemma that cannot be resolved by the message itself. While Palestinian panic is suppressed with extraordinary effectiveness, force by judaic extremists is increasing – uncontrolled, politically targeted and increasingly visible.

For Israeli safety services, the threat may no longer be lurking on the another side of the border, but besides within it.

Written by Elizabeth Blade, correspondent RT mediate East

Translated by Google Translator

source:https://www.rt.com/news/631831-jewish-terror-surges-west-bank/