The Israeli army chief in the West Bank, Major General Avi Bluth, has admitted that his troops are "killing like we haven't killed since 1967," including fatal shootings of Palestinian stone-throwers, according to leaked remarks reported by Haaretz.
Leaked Remarks Reveal Discriminatory Practices
The comments were made in a recent closed forum but were leaked to Israel's Haaretz newspaper. Bluth has not denied the authenticity of the account, and the Israel Defense Forces did not respond to requests for comment. Bluth, who was born in a West Bank settlement and educated in a religious military academy in the occupied territory, spoke bluntly about the discriminatory military justice his soldiers administer.
He stated that soldiers shot 42 Palestinian stone-throwers on West Bank roads last year, insisting these acts amount to terrorism. Bluth acknowledged that the army does not shoot Jewish settler militants for the same behavior, noting that when a settler throwing stones at motorists was wounded by army gunfire, it caused a public "ruckus."
Admission of Discrimination
"Any such incident has very serious consequences from a societal perspective," Bluth said, openly admitting: "Yes, it involves discrimination." Palestinians are subjected to military law in the West Bank and extended detention without trial, while Israelis are judged by civilian courts.
Bluth also loosened legal constraints on soldiers, allowing them to maim Palestinians caught trying to cross the separation barrier into Israel for work. "At the [separation barrier], it is currently permitted to detain a suspect by shooting him at the knee or below to create 'barrier awareness,'" he said, adding that it serves as a deterrent. "There are a lot of 'limping monuments' in Palestinian villages of those who tried to [cross the barrier], so there is a price being paid."
Justification and Context
Bluth justified these rules of engagement by labeling each illegal Palestinian worker as a "potential terrorist." He portrayed his actions as part of a "survival of the fittest" struggle. "If someone comes to kill you, kill them first is the norm in the Middle East, so we're killing like we haven't killed since 1967," he said, referencing the war that led to the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians were killed in the second intifada from 2000 to 2005.
Haaretz commented in an editorial: "His apartheidist approach, under which the army shoots only Palestinian stone-throwers, not Jewish ones, was justified on the grounds of the 'sociological consequences' of shooting at the latter. Did he take into account the 'sociological consequences' of these 'lame monuments' on the Palestinians?"
Escalating Violence Since October 2023
Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war in Gaza, Israeli settlers have escalated violent intimidation against Palestinians in the West Bank, aiming to drive them off their land. The Israeli army, increasingly composed of soldiers and officers from settlements, has routinely abetted this campaign. According to UN figures, 230 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers in 2025.
Bluth had earlier sparked controversy by warning that "Jewish terror" by extremist "hilltop youth" could trigger an uprising. "These people don't see Arabs as human beings and think it's possible to burn people alive, to burn houses down with their occupants inside, and unfortunately, they do this frequently," he said. He noted that "it's almost a miracle that the Palestinians are still indifferent" but warned they "won't remain indifferent indefinitely."
Haaretz concluded: "Bluth has now revealed what everyone already knew: the Israel Defense Forces is working hand in hand with the settlers who are carrying out the daily pogroms. Bluth calls it Israeli terrorism, but not only does he not try to prevent it in the same way that the IDF prevents Palestinian terrorism, but he is actually abetting it."
