Hundreds of former Israeli security and diplomatic officials have signed an open letter to US President Donald Trump, calling on him to intervene in order to press Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt what they term 'settler terrorism' in the occupied West Bank.
The letter, released on Tuesday (February 4), was drafted by the advocacy group Commanders for Israel's Security (CIS) and signed by nearly 600 former generals, military officers, Mossad and Shin Bet intelligence operatives, police and diplomats. CIS describes itself as a Zionist movement with a mission 'to ensure the future of Israel as a strong democratic Jewish state'.
In the letter, the authors stress that the escalating violence in the West Bank 'is on a path to ignite the region' and carries 'severe consequences for both Israeli security and US regional interests'. They insist: 'According to our professional assessment, no one but you, Mr. President, can stop this disaster.'
The CIS group also criticizes certain members of the Israeli government for 'orchestrating much of this chaos' by shielding settlers and Israeli forces from legal oversight. They warn that 'the rise in Jewish settler terrorist activity' could lead to more devastating consequences than the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
The letter comes after a wave of widespread settler violence across the West Bank, following a deadly shooting in the town of Tal that killed two Israelis and four Palestinians.
Al Jazeera correspondent Nour Odeh noted that the letter aligns with other warnings from Israeli security circles that settlers are 'seizing the initiative' and 'giving orders' to the military, even putting Israeli soldiers in danger.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to meet President Trump in Washington Tuesday — his seventh visit to the White House during Trump's second term. The visit comes as tensions between Iran and the US temporarily ease to make way for diplomatic efforts.
