According to the 125-page analysis, 98% of incidents documented by the United Nations under this label are, in fact, confrontations between Arabs and the IDF. “Facts that must resonate around the world.”
The narrative of “settler violence” has become a rallying cry for left-wing NGOs and international media, used to tarnish the image of Jewish communities in
Judea and Samaria and to justify punitive measures against them. But a new report by the Regavim Movement, based on a detailed examination of the UN’s incident database, reveals that this apparent phenomenon is essentially a modern blood libel, fueled by far-left NGOs and amplified by the local and international press.
The report, which spans 125 pages, analyzes the UN's database, which purports to document all violent incidents in Judea and Samaria. The analysis reveals that over 98% of the incidents labeled as "settler violence" are in fact security confrontations between Arabs and IDF forces, not civilian incidents, and that even cases of Jewish self-defense, Palestinian terror attacks, infrastructure work by the State of Israel, Jewish visits to the Temple Mount and tours of historical sites in Judea and Samaria — are all listed as "settler violence."
The report highlights the fact that UN accounts are based almost exclusively on Palestinian sources, without independent corroboration, resulting in the inclusion of numerous incidents that are either inaccurately portrayed or entirely fabricated. All of the above create a false foundation that portrays settlers and IDF soldiers as the aggressors, and Israel as an apartheid state committing war crimes.
In one glaring example, 30-year-old Yotam Ovadia was murdered in a terrorist attack in the settlement Adam in 2018. As Yotam was leaving his home, 17-year-old terrorist Mohammad Tareq Yousef from the village of Kobar ambushed him, stabbing him repeatedly. Yousef then went on to stab two more victims until one victim shot the terrorist with his personal handgun, injuring him seriously. Several days later, after being hospitalized Yousef died of his wounds. Upon investigating the UN data, Regavim’s researchers discovered that this event was counted twice under “incidents of settler violence”: first as
an instance of stabbing by settlers, then as killing by settlers.
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One chapter of the report reveals, for the first time, Israeli police data on incidents of nationalist violence — both Jewish and Arab — throughout the country. The findings indicate over-enforcement against Jews, especially settlers, alongside an extremely low rate of enforcement against nationalist crimes committed by Arabs, even when they are severe and life-threatening.
The report warns of the settler violence campaign’s far-reaching consequences: from the collective defamation of settlers and the deepening of internal divisions within Israeli society, to the erosion of Israel’s international standing–even being used as justification for the atrocities of October 7–and paving the way for severe sanctions against Israeli citizens. These sanctions threaten not only the settlement enterprise, but also national security, human rights, and the foundations of Israeli democracy.
Regavim calls on law enforcement authorities and the Israeli government to expose the truth to the public via a unified database, to act with transparency and fairness, and to launch a proactive public diplomacy campaign both in Israel and around the world. The report also calls for the removal of foreign and ideological actors who deliberately stoke tensions on the ground and propagate a deceptive narrative aimed at constructing a false reality.
According to Meir Deutsch, CEO of the Regavim Movement, "the report uncovers the deliberate manipulation at the heart of the campaign, which seeks to draw a grotesque equivalence between Israel and Hamas–all in the name of a fabricated narrative of ‘extremism on both sides’. The Palestinian Authority and those promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state are using this campaign not only to delegitimize Israeli soldiers and settlers— but to effectively mark them as legitimate targets for violence. They are laying the groundwork for the creation of a Palestinian state whose sole purpose is the destruction of the State of Israel."
"For years we've been told about a ‘grave phenomenon' of settler violence,” Deutsch says, “without presenting data, without proving it even exists. The time has come to strip away the mask of lies and expose the truth. After years of neglecting this matter, we are finally presenting the facts – and they must resonate across Israel and around the world."
About a year ago, Chief Superintendent Avishai Moalem, commander of the Judea and Samaria Central Unit (Yamar Shai), appeared before the Knesset’s Subcommittee on Judea and Samaria. (Since then, Moalem was placed on leave due to his unwillingness to cooperate with the Shin Bet's recently uncovered blood libels against settlers.) He presented police data before the committee showing that 191 cases were opened following complaints by Palestinians and anarchists against settlers in the South Hebron Hills alone since the beginning of the current war. Of those, 90 cases — nearly 50% — turned out to be false complaints.
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"Most of the complaints are submitted under the guidance of far-left, anarchist organizations that are actually based in Tel Aviv and notify the police that there is currently settler violence in the South Hebron Hills," said Chief Superintendent Moalem. "This phenomenon is widespread, disrupts our work, and squanders our resources."
Later in his remarks, Chief Superintendent Moalem said that in the Jordan Valley — which, like the South Hebron Hills, is also a major hub of anarchist activity — 70 similar cases were opened since the beginning of the war, and there too about 50% of the complaints proved false. Chief Superintendent Moalem described a recurring pattern in the complaints: the complainants name a settler as their alleged attacker, but when presented with a photo of the individual, they fail to recognize him. When asked about the discrepancy, they admit they were instructed to give that name.
Beyond the drain on police time and resources, and the significant distress caused to falsely accused settlers, the broader harm to the State of Israel is substantial. "In my view, the most serious damage is to Israel’s international image, and we see the consequences in the form of sanctions," said Moalem.
