The United States on Wednesday went slightly further in condemning surging West Bank settler violence than it has in the past, urging legal action, though it did not use the word “settler” and avoided criticizing Israel for not cracking down on the phenomenon.
“We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and call for investigations, arrests and convictions of those responsible,” a US State Department spokesperson said in response to a query from The Times of Israel on the matter.
Previous statements from the State Department on the subject were slightly more vague and largely stressed the importance of maintaining stability in the West Bank, though this one does not mention either Israel or the Palestinians by name.
“We are in regular dialogue with partners about improving stability and security in the West Bank,” the State Department spokesperson said, indicating that the US is raising the matter with Israel behind closed doors.
Surging violence by Israeli settlers across the West Bank — largely unchecked by Israeli authorities — has been met with severe condemnation from Western allies in recent weeks.
