High Court Orders Justification from IDF Over Settler Violence Against Palestinians

On Thursday, the High Court of Justice in Israel issued a conditional order against Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the commander of Israeli forces in the West Bank, and Brig. Gen. Hisham Ibrahim, head of the Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration. The court demanded they justify their failure to protect Palestinian farmers in the Jordan Valley from harassment and violence perpetrated by settlers, particularly focusing on Moshe Sharvit, a manager of an illegal outpost near the West Bank settlement of Hamra. The court's order specifically questioned why the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Civil Administration had not taken action to prevent Sharvit from encroaching on the farmers' land and blocking their access to it with a gate he constructed in October 2023.

The court's ruling comes amid a notable surge in settler violence in the West Bank, which has escalated since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Reports indicate that settler attacks occur almost daily and often go unpunished. Data from the IDF and Shin Bet security agency revealed a 27 percent increase in settler attacks in 2025 compared to the previous year, with severe incidents such as shootings and arson rising from 54 in 2023 to 128 in 2025.

The Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), which filed the petition leading to the court's order, criticized the military's inaction, stating, “The military’s failure to act is not passivity – it is complicity.” ACRI's Executive Director, Noa Sattath, emphasized that soldiers have repeatedly enforced lawlessness by ordering Palestinian farmers off their own land at the request of settlers like Sharvit.

Critics of the Israeli government, described as the most hardline in its history, have accused it of neglecting the violence against Palestinians. The lack of arrests or prosecutions in settler violence incidents has raised concerns about the enforcement of law and order in the region. Observers note that the government’s response to settler violence is perceived as inadequate, contributing to a climate of impunity for such acts.

While the High Court's order highlights specific incidents of violence and harassment, there are discrepancies in the reporting of the extent and nature of settler violence. Some sources indicate a rise in severe incidents, while others focus on the lack of accountability for perpetrators. The absence of arrests in many cases further complicates the narrative surrounding the enforcement of laws in the West Bank.

• “The military’s failure to act is not passivity – it is complicity,” — Noa Sattath, Executive Director, ACRI

• “Soldiers have repeatedly arrived on the scene at Sharvit’s request and ordered Palestinian landowners off their own land. That is not law enforcement. That is the enforcement of lawlessness. Amid the military and police failure to act, we are determined to use every tool we have to end settler violence — also by targeting violent settlers.” — Noa Sattath, Executive Director, ACRI

This court ruling and the surrounding context underscore the ongoing tensions and challenges faced by Palestinian farmers in the West Bank amid rising settler violence and perceived governmental inaction.