Sources in Israel’s security and law enforcement agencies are warning that the Shin Bet’s Jewish division is facing a serious crisis. That’s the division responsible for fighting “Jewish terrorism,” or, as the State Dept. calls it, even under Marco Rubio and Donald Trump, “settler violence.” According to Haaretz criminal correspondent Josh Breiner, the situation has become worse since David Zini was appointed as head of the Shin Bet.
Sources cited by Josh Breiner say that David Zini places secondary importance on violence by “settlers” and right-wing activists in Judea and Samaria. According to these sources, he does not define attacks on PA Arabs in Judea and Samaria as “Jewish terrorism.” Instead, they say Zini tends to describe such cases as “incidents of friction” between Jews and Arabs.
AFSI’s take:
The flawed mentality of the Shin Bet is finally undergoing transformation. Contrary to widespread belief, acts of violence by Jews in self-defense do not constitute Jewish terrorism. It is high time that the scales of justice in this area be recalibrated.