Someone should explain why there are no delegations of diplomats, journalists, members of parliament or liberal Jews such as Brad Lander, the Jewish former New York City comptroller and Democratic congressional nominee, traveling around Judea and Samaria to protect Jewish residents, known as “settlers,” from Palestinian attacks—not only with stones, but also with automatic weapons.
The criminals who attack Palestinian homes—though perhaps this, too, is not widely known—are by now largely in prison. The police, in addition to responding to the anguished protests of half the world, must in a democracy enforce the law, even when frustration over the ideological siege is intense.
On Friday, two Palestinian terrorists opened fire on Israeli soldiers at Yehuda Junction near Hebron, killing Staff Sgt. Ron Yonatan Roytman, 23, of Ashkelon, and Sgt. Yuval Shai Svilem, 20, of Hod Hasharon.
Both served in the Home Front Command’s 775th “Ari” Battalion of the Search and Rescue Brigade. Roytman was a squad commander and Svilem a combat soldier. Three other soldiers were wounded.
The terrorists had arrived in a vehicle carrying a large quantity of ammunition. According to the IDF’s initial assessment, they had intended to carry out a larger attack against Israeli civilians, but were prevented from doing so by the soldiers.
Palestinians attack Jews every day, often in Area C, which under the Oslo Accords remains under Israeli control pending a final agreement. Europe and the United States have never repudiated those accords. Yet much of the international community continues to regard the territory as occupied and Israeli presence there as contrary to international law.
Today, Israel is increasingly acknowledging that terrorist organizations in Judea and Samaria are preparing the ground for another Oct. 7. And when Israel acts to prevent such an attack, its response is itself denounced by international public opinion as Israeli violence.
The “two states for two peoples” solution, meanwhile, has repeatedly been rejected by the Palestinians since 1948.
Nor does much of world public opinion recognize that Judea and Samaria are at the heart of Jewish history. According to Israeli sources, six Jews were killed in Judea during the first six months of 2026.
The pro-Palestinian organization B’Tselem speaks of 24 deaths over two years; according to United Nations figures, 43 Jews were killed over the same two-year period, including 10 children.
Terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria often target women, children and students. These are Oct. 7-type stories, targeted massacres of families.
But I see no delegations coming to stop attacks such as the one on Sunday against former deputy mayor and a candidate in the upcoming elections, Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, whose car was bombarded with rocks and set on fire; or Monday’s attacks, involving stone-throwing and the use of tractors to crush farmers; or the rock-throwing attacks on Wednesday and Thursday.
Then came Friday’s attempted major terrorist attack, just days before the elections. But no delegation will come to defend democracy—or the beautiful Jewish olive harvest.
Europe thinks that instead of Israel one can say “colony,” or even “genocide.”
And meanwhile, it catches fire.
