More than 300 IDF reservists have signed a petition calling on Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to take decisive action against what they describe as “Jewish terrorism” in the West Bank, amid an escalating confrontation near the Palestinian village of Qusra.
The petition, titled “Reservists’ Letter Against Jewish Terrorism,” was published Wednesday as extremist settlers continued to gather near Qusra, where Palestinians say three families have effectively been placed under siege. The signatories accuse senior military commanders of failing to provide troops with the authority and tools needed to prevent repeated incidents of nationalist violence.
Settlers block roads and clash with IDF forces in Qusra
“We are reserve combat soldiers who have served hundreds of days since October 7, including in the West Bank, where we risked our lives for Israel’s security,” the letter says. “We are determined to continue defending Israel, but we feel that the IDF leadership is leaving us alone in the field and is not standing behind us.”
The reservists said they are repeatedly sent to separate Israelis and Palestinians in what the military often defines as “friction incidents,” while lacking what they describe as a genuine mandate to prevent the violence before it begins.
“Again and again we are asked to put out fires, but no one makes sure to stop those leading nationalist terrorism and root it out,” they wrote.
The petition argues that failure by senior commanders to address extremist violence, combined in some cases with political support for those involved, is putting soldiers themselves at risk.
“The lack of backing and direction from IDF leadership, the turning of a blind eye to Jewish terrorism and to the known places from which it emerges, and at times even support for it from the political echelon, endanger us and abandon us,” the reservists wrote.
They said soldiers have already been injured and killed in incidents connected directly or indirectly to such unrest, including confrontations in which extremist activists blocked military forces or turned against them.
The signatories also criticized the involvement of armed local defense personnel in some incidents, saying their participation damages the reputation of the broader military.
“We call on you to act decisively to stop Jewish terrorism and root it out, and to give us clear tools and a clear mandate to prevent it,” the letter says.
Maj. (res.) Aviad Hominer-Rosenblum, one of the organizers, told ynet that reservists are being failed twice: first by being repeatedly drawn into violent incidents created by extremists, and then by being associated with those same events because of the military’s inability to confront them.
Hominer-Rosenblum, who has completed 270 days of reserve duty since October 7, said soldiers are being forced “again and again to risk our lives because of the rise in Jewish terrorism and deliberate friction created by agitators.”
“Our name is being stained because of the military system’s failure to deal with Jewish terrorism at its roots, and because of the active involvement of soldiers, especially local defense personnel, in these serious events,” he said.
Capt. (res.) Tom Pinhasi, another signatory, said the events in Qusra were not an isolated case but part of a wider pattern in the West Bank.
“Armed groups operate in the field almost without interference, and in many places the IDF finds itself dragged into protecting the actions of a fanatical minority instead of enforcing the law and protecting all residents,” he said.
Pinhasi argued that violence against Palestinians not only violates military values but also creates a direct security threat.
“There is no connection whatsoever between Jewish terrorism and security,” he said. “The opposite is true. Criminal violence against Palestinians endangers soldiers, inflames the area and harms the security of all of us.”
Capt. (res.) Tom Pinhasi
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
He called on the military leadership to treat every act of terrorism according to the nature of the offense rather than the identity of the perpetrators.
“When the political echelon removes responsibility from itself, the military echelon has a clear duty: to treat every act of terrorism as terrorism, without favoritism and without distinguishing between the identity of those carrying it out,” Pinhasi said.
Democrats party leader and former IDF deputy chief of staff Yair Golan also condemned the events in Qusra, accusing the government of creating “anarchy” in the West Bank.
“Every force the IDF is forced to divert to deal with Jewish rioters is a force that is not engaged in preventing terrorism and protecting Israeli citizens,” Golan said.
He warned that attacks on Palestinian villages and politically backed violence risk triggering further escalation and damaging Israel internationally.
“A government that encourages chaos and terrorism is an asset to antisemitism,” he said. “It harms Israel’s legitimacy, endangers IDF soldiers and brings the West Bank closer to boiling point.”
The petition was released as the situation in Qusra remained volatile. Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth arrived at the scene Wednesday, and the IDF said it had removed the structure from which extremist settlers had been restricting access to three Palestinian families.
Footage from the area, however, showed settlers remaining at the same location after the structure was removed.
Qusra council head Abdel Azim Wadi told ynet that large numbers of settlers were continuing to arrive and described the situation as chaotic.
The reservists’ letter also referenced a deadly attack near the village of Tel about three weeks ago, in which Maj. Yuval Ezra, an artillery battery commander dispatched to assist Israelis traveling in the area, and local security team member Benayahu Melet were killed while responding to the incident.
The signatories argue that episodes of extremist violence create precisely the kind of instability that draws troops into dangerous situations and increases the burden on reservists already serving extended periods since the outbreak of the war.