By Nurah Tape – The Palestine Chronicle  

“The damage to the State of Israel, especially now and to the vast majority of the settlers, is indescribable: global delegitimization, even among our greatest allies.”

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar has warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Jewish settler violence and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s actions at the al-Aqsa Mosque were causing “indescribable damage” to Israel.

“I’m writing you this letter in pain, great fear, as a Jew, as an Israeli, and as a member of a security force,” Bar wrote in a letter published by Channel 12 News on Thursday, cited by the Times of Israel.

The letter was addressed to Netanyahu, Defense Minister Minister Yoav Gallant and other ministers including Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Religious Services Minister Michael Malchieli, as well as Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara.

It was not sent to Ben-Gvir, the Times of Israel said, who reportedly demanded that Bar be fired during the cabinet meeting and “stormed out when Netanyahu and other ministers defended him.”

‘Hilltop Youth’

Bar wrote that “The ‘hilltop youth’ phenomenon long ago became a hotbed of violence against Palestinians,” referring to a radical group of settler youth known for violent clashes with the locals in the West Bank.

‘Backing of Israeli Authorities’ – HRW Says Settler Attacks Displaced Hundreds in West Bank

He saw the violence as being committed to “fear monger, meaning terrorism” and believed that the youth were encouraged by “a secret sense of backing” from the police.

Factors such as “The loss of fear of administrative detention due to the conditions they get in prison and the money given to them upon their release by MKs, together with legitimization and praise, alongside delegitimization of security forces,” contribute to the continuation of the violence, Bar reportedly wrote.

He said the solution was not the Shin Bet, but that of the country’s leaders.

“The damage to the State of Israel, especially now and to the vast majority of the settlers, is indescribable: global delegitimization, even among our greatest allies; spreading thin the IDF’s (PC – Israeli Military) personnel which is already struggling to keep up with all its missions and which wasn’t intended to deal with this,” he wrote.

Bar continued, “vengeful attacks that are sparking another front in the multi-front war we are in; putting more players into the cycle of terror; a slippery slope to the feeling of a lack of governance; another obstacle to creating local alliances that we need against the Shiite axis; and above all, a massive stain on Judaism and us all.”

Last week Jewish settlers killed Rashid Mahmoud Sedda, 22, in a settler attack on the village of Jit, east of Qalqiliya in the West Bank and critically injured another in the chest, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Local sources said that the illegal settlers attacked the western part of the village setting several vehicles alight, and shot and killed the young villager and injured another, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Illegal Jewish Settlers on Rampage – One Palestinian Killed, another Critically Wounded

Masjidul Aqsa Violations

The European Union as well as the United States have imposed sanctions against extremist Jewish settlers and organizations in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, citing serious human rights abuses against Palestinians.

The Shin Bet Chief slammed Ben-Gvir’s recent visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound saying “developments in this direction will lead to bloodshed and will unrecognizably change the face of the State of Israel.”

‘Blatant Violation’ – Ben-Gvir Storms Al-Aqsa with Thousands of Settlers

“I am convinced that we need an explicit statement that this is wrong and dangerous – morally and for security … I’m convinced that this needs to be one of the government’s main goals before it’s too late,” Bar said.

The report said that Ben-Gvir’s office accused Bar of “trying to create spin” and attack the Security Minister to “deflect from the discussion of his responsibility for the concepts and failures that led to October 7.”

“It won’t help him. After (former IDF intelligence chief Aharon) Haliva, he is the next one who must quit,” the Office reportedly said.

Haliva, who announced his resignation in April, said, “The failure of the intelligence corps was my fault.”

“On October 7, that bitter day that I carry with me on my conscience and on my shoulders, and will carry with me until my last days, we did not uphold the sanctity of our oath,” Haliva said at his resignation ceremony on Wednesday.

(The Palestine Chronicle)