Full Breakdown
Religious Jewish Activists Clash with Extremist Settlers in the West Bank
8/27/2026, 10:49:58 PM
Activists Injured During Confrontation in Jannatah
On August 25, 2026, a group of roughly 30 Israeli activists traveled from Jerusalem to the West Bank village of Jannatah, near Bethlehem, to build a protective fence around the home of the Faraj family. The family had been pressured after settlers erected a prefabricated structure on their private land and after Mohammed Faraj was killed in March. While the activists were clearing road obstacles, two cars filled with settler reinforcements—many wearing dark hoodies—arrived and violently expelled the visitors. At least five activists were injured, and an AFP journalist was struck in the chin with a stick. The activists’ vehicles were later vandalised, with windows smashed and tyres punctured. The outpost involved, known as Kochav Yehuda, has reportedly been dismantled 64 times by Israeli authorities and rebuilt each time, most recently the day before the incident.
Settler Violence and Political Context
Violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers has risen sharply since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. The extremist Hilltop Youth movement, which seeks to pressure Palestinian residents to abandon their homes and to establish illegal outposts, is identified as a primary driver of this escalation. Settlement construction is being accelerated ahead of the October 27 scheduled elections, as the right-wing government pursues further expansion in the occupied territory, which has been under Israeli control since 1967 and is home to about three million Palestinians and over 500,000 Israeli settlers.
Profiles of Activists and Groups
- Avishai Liss, 26 – Member of Bnei Avraham, a religious-Jewish movement founded four years ago that frames its activism as a moral response to settler violence. He describes his work as defending Palestinian homes from “violent settlers.”
- Dror Nadel, 27 – Former ultra-Orthodox resident of the Tel Aviv area who left the fold and now critiques the role of religion in the conflict.
- Bnei Avraham (Children of Abraham) – A religious-Jewish organization that positions itself against the broader, largely secular Israeli peace movement, emphasizing a faith-based commitment to justice for Palestinians.
Activists’ Rationale and Responses
Sharp explains that her motivation stems from Jewish texts that call believers to embody “pity, compassion and justice,” interpreting the concept of *tzelem elokim* (the image of God) as a mandate to protect the vulnerable. Liss argues that the current situation in the West Bank is “not Jewish” and “definitely not moral,” emphasizing a distinction between his interpretation of Judaism and that of extremist settlers. Nadel, reflecting on his upbringing, warns that religion can be “a really dangerous thing” when misapplied, while also acknowledging its potential for beauty.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I think religion is a really dangerous thing," Nadel said.” — Dror Nadel
