Nearly All Senate Democrats Press Netanyahu to Act Against West Bank Violence

Nearly all Democratic members of the US Senate have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take steps to address what they described as a “surge” in violence involving settlers in the West Bank, while also raising concerns about arrests of Palestinians by Israeli security forces.

A letter sent to Netanyahu and reviewed by Reuters was signed by 45 of the Senate’s 47 Democrats. The lawmakers cited what they characterized as increasing levels of “fatal violence by settlers.”

The senators also asked Israel to increase investigations into the deaths of nine American citizens whom they said [have been killed] by Israeli settlers or Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 2022.

The letter said the “significant surge” in violence in recent weeks had been accompanied by “a large-scale response by Israeli security forces, mass arrests of Palestinians, and reported attacks by settlers on mosques.”

The letter comes amid continuing disagreements between the Israeli government and Democratic lawmakers in Washington over developments in the West Bank. Some Democrats have also called for changes to US military assistance to Israel in connection with its conduct during the wars in Gaza and Iran. Polling has meanwhile indicated that a majority of Democratic voters hold unfavorable views of Israel.

In April, 40 of the Senate’s 47 Democrats voted for measures that would have blocked certain weapons sales to Israel. The measures did not pass.

The letter was drafted by Senators Adam Schiff of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Schumer has historically been a prominent congressional supporter of Israel. Schumer and Schiff are Jewish, while Booker has longstanding ties to the Jewish community.

The senators asked Netanyahu to provide clear instructions to Israeli police and military personnel to prevent violent confrontations in the West Bank and to intervene when violence occurs “regardless of the perpetrators.”

They also called on the Israeli government to stop approving additional settlements and construction of “illegal outposts in the West Bank.” The lawmakers further urged the government to take steps toward removing existing outposts, citing previous attacks on Palestinians associated with some of the sites.

The Israeli government provides some financial assistance to agricultural outposts and has continued settlement development in the West Bank. Supporters and opponents of settlement expansion have offered differing views about its broader political implications, including its relationship to the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.

Reports of settler attacks and harassment have increased in recent months. The number of prosecutions has remained limited, while critics have accused the Israeli military and Netanyahu government of failing to do enough to prevent or prosecute such incidents.

On Sunday, settlers near the recently dismantled Kochav Yair outpost, close to Jannatah in the southern West Bank, were filmed during an altercation involving activists and journalists. IDF troops were present at the scene but did not arrest any of those involved, according to the report.

On Friday, a Palestinian teenager was shot and killed by the coordinator of a settlement security squad after settlers entered an area near Sa’ir, a Palestinian village farther south. The incident followed a confrontation between settlers and Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump has made limited public comments about the situation in the West Bank.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has referred to extremist settlers as “Israeli terrorists.” Earlier this month, he told Reuters that people involved in the reported siege of two homes in the northern West Bank village of Qusra could face US sanctions. Huckabee has also defended Israeli settlements more broadly, saying that those involved in violence are “unsettlers” who do not represent the wider settlement movement.

Nearly all Senate Democrats on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take stronger measures against what they described as a “surge” in violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, while also raising concerns about large-scale arrests of Palestinians by Israeli security forces.

A letter sent to Netanyahu and reviewed by Reuters was signed by 45 of the 47 Democrats in the Senate. The lawmakers pointed to rising levels of “fatal violence by settlers.”

The senators also urged Netanyahu’s government to intensify investigations into the deaths of nine American citizens who, according to the lawmakers, have been [killed] by Israeli settlers or Israeli security forces in the West Bank since 2022.

According to the letter, the “significant surge” in violence in recent weeks has prompted “a large-scale response by Israeli security forces, mass arrests of Palestinians, and reported attacks by settlers on mosques.”

The letter represents another indication of increasing tensions between Israel’s government and congressional Democrats over the Israeli approach to the West Bank. Within the Democratic Party, lawmakers have also increasingly called for restrictions on US military assistance to Israel over its actions in the wars in Gaza and Iran. Recent polling has found that a large majority of Democratic voters hold unfavorable views of Israel.

In April, 40 of the Senate’s 47 Democrats voted in favor of measures seeking to block certain weapons sales to Israel, although the efforts ultimately failed.

The letter was prepared by Democratic Senators Adam Schiff of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, who has historically been among Israel’s strongest supporters in Congress. Both Schumer and Schiff are Jewish, while Booker has maintained longstanding relationships with the Jewish community.

The senators called on Netanyahu to give explicit orders to Israeli police and military personnel to prevent violent confrontations in the West Bank and intervene when they occur “regardless of the perpetrators.”

They also urged Israel to halt approvals for additional settlements and construction of “illegal outposts in the West Bank” and called for existing outposts to be dismantled. The lawmakers said such sites have been repeatedly linked to attacks against Palestinians.

The Israeli government provides some financial assistance to agricultural outposts and has pursued broader settlement growth across the West Bank. Supporters and opponents of the policy have both described settlement expansion as connected to efforts to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.

Violence by Israeli settlers has increased in recent months, accompanied by frequent attacks and harassment. Prosecutions remain uncommon, while critics have accused the Israeli military and Netanyahu government of tolerating, or even encouraging, such violence.

On Sunday, settlers near the recently dismantled Kochav Yair outpost, close to Jannatah in the southern West Bank, were filmed attacking activists and journalists. IDF soldiers were reportedly present but did not arrest any of the alleged attackers.

On Friday, a Palestinian teenager was shot and killed by the coordinator of a settlement security team after settlers illegally entered an area near Sa’ir, a Palestinian village farther south. The incident followed a confrontation between the settlers and Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump has made relatively few public comments about the situation in the West Bank.

His ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has condemned extremist settlers as “Israeli terrorists.” Earlier this month, Huckabee told Reuters that individuals involved in the siege of two homes in the northern West Bank village of Qusra could potentially face US sanctions. At the same time, he has defended Israeli settlements more broadly, arguing that those responsible for violence are “unsettlers” and do not represent the wider settlement movement.