Katz on the riots: The rioters divert forces from their missions and harm security efforts, act against them with determination

Assessment

Defense Minister Israel Katz condemned the riots in Binyamin, where security forces were attacked and Palestinian homes and property were set on fire. He is visiting Judea and Samaria with the Central Command chief. Katz said the rioters divert forces from their missions and seriously harm security efforts, the settlements, and the state. He stressed they do not represent the settler public and called for decisive action and full prosecution. He wished a speedy recovery to Border Police fighters wounded in the events and voiced full support for the IDF, Border Police, and police. The stakes are high: internal violence inside the West Bank now competes with external security priorities. Watch whether the military follows through with arrests and how settler leadership distances itself from the rioters.