Citing the recent events in the Palestinian village of Qusra as the latest example of escalating attacks on Palestinian communities, Combatants for Peace (CFP) has called on the European Union and the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia to impose personal sanctions on Major General Avi Bluth, Commander of the Israeli army Central Command.
In an urgent appeal sent by human rights lawyer Eitay Mack on behalf of the movement, Combatants for Peace argues that responsibility for the escalating settler terrorism in the occupied West Bank lies not only with settlers carrying out acts of terrorism but also with the senior military commander responsible for protecting Palestinian civilians and enforcing the law.
The appeal argues that while several Western governments have already sanctioned extremist Israeli settlers and organizations, they have so far stopped short of targeting senior Israeli military officials. CFP argues that, as the military commander with overall authority in the occupied West Bank, Major General Avi Bluth has failed to use the powers at his disposal to prevent attacks on Palestinian communities, enforce the law against settlers carrying out acts of terrorism, and protect civilians. The movement further argues that the persistent impunity surrounding settler terrorism and the forced displacement of Palestinian communities serves a broader strategy of escalating tensions in the West Bank, creating conditions for land seizures and forced displacement similar to those witnessed in Gaza and in several refugee camps in the northern West Bank.
The appeal comes two days after live fire was directed at a joint Israeli-Palestinian activity organized by Combatants for Peace on the outskirts of Beit Sahour. According to the movement, the shots were fired from the direction of a nearby Israeli outpost. Journalists, representatives of the Beit Sahour Municipality, and Bishop William Shomali, a senior official of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, were among those present. No one was injured. The movement says it has video footage showing an armed Israeli settler firing into the air before pointing his weapon toward participants. Israeli soldiers arrived approximately 30 minutes after the shooting began.
Combatants for Peace stated: “Qusra and Beit Sahour are not isolated incidents. They reflect a broader reality in which Palestinian communities face daily settler terrorism while those responsible continue to enjoy impunity.
“Our response is not violence, but a joint Israeli-Palestinian nonviolent struggle against the occupation and against all attacks on human life. The international community must move beyond condemning settler terrorism and ensure accountability for those in positions of command whose actions—or failure to act—allow these abuses to continue.” The movement added
