News

The internal probe conducted by the Israel Defense Forces' Samaria Brigade into the events at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus last month paints a picture of the inefficacy of the state when it comes to dealing with disturbances by right-wing Israelis. While security and legal entities generally operate like a well-oiled machine in their dealings with the Palestinians, illegal actions on the part of Jewish settlers usually fall between the cracks.

Alongside structural difficulties, the failure stems also from a problem of motivation: Many office-holders in the territories are fearful of confrontations with the political echelon, and some also identify with the ideological viewpoint of the right, whose more extreme members do not always balk at taking illegal actions.