Haaretz Editorial01:46 AM • July 27 2026 IDTThe government cannot claim that its hands are clean. None of its members, and certainly not the prime minister, can claim that they weren't warned. The writing on the wall was clear: A flare-up in the West Bank was only a matter of time. It was visible on the walls of the mosques that settlers torched or painted hateful slogans such as "Jewish blood is not forfeit." Senior army officers have warned that the government is giving a tailwind to the settlers' acts of violence. One reservist officer said his unit's main activity these days is dealing with this violence, but he doesn't have enough soldiers to handle the incidents. "We simply stand by and watch it unfold," he said (Yaniv Kubovich, Sunday's Haaretz).Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Israel settlersIsrael occupationIsrael settlementsWest BankBezalel SmotrichCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesWest BankNetanyahuIranKarim KhanTrump's AircraftIsrael ElectionsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastMinimizing Harm to Civilians? The Genocide ContinuesThe State Is Teaching Citizens to Bypass the LawThe Father of the 'Processes' Doctrine Is Ignorant of the ProcessesThey Can't Say That They Weren't WarnedIsrael Beats the Drums of War With Iran, but Trump Is Not Picking Up the TuneRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIThe Original Ozempic Society of Ancient RomeIsrael's Far Right Is Repeating the Sin That Brought Down the TempleAn Israeli Election Surprise Called the DemocratsEd Miliband, the U.K.'s New Foreign Secretary – and His History With IsraelBiden Officials Now Regret What They Let Israel Do in Gaza. Does It Matter?Two Israelis, Four Palestinians Killed in Clash After Settlers Enter Town