Report: Israeli Police Official Refused to Prevent Settler Attack on Palestinian Village

According to correspondence between Israeli police officers, the commander of the Yamar police in the West Bank, Avishai Muallem, ignored reports of a settler attack that killed Rashid Abdel Qader Sedda, 23, in the village of Jit last August, and the burning of cars and homes.

Correspondence between Israeli police officers reveals that the former commander of the Central Police Unit, Avishai Muallem, ignored reports of terrorist settlers attacking the village of Jit, west of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, last August, which led to the death of a Palestinian youth.

Correspondence published by i24 News revealed that at 8:06 PM, Moalem received a report from Officer Nava Nahum about dozens of masked settlers leaving the Yitzhar settlement and heading in a convoy of vehicles to the village of Jit. Nahum stated that this was a “red alert” and that there was a strong suspicion of violence in the village.

Officer Nahum called on her commander, Avishai, to send police forces to prevent the settlers from reaching the village, but he ignored the request. She then informed him that the settlers had begun torching cars and homes in Jit, where people were trapped, and that the settlers had killed a Palestinian resident.

According to the correspondence, Moalem wrote to Nahum at 10:17 PM that she needed to inform him by other means, not WhatsApp. However, a Shin Bet official reported that he contacted Avishai Moalem at the beginning of the settlers’ attack on the Palestinian village, and that Moalem declined to send forces to the village. The Shin Bet official added that Officer Avishai stopped answering his phone after that.

According to a report published by Channel 10 last week, Moalem admitted that he delayed the arrest of settlers suspected of setting fire to Palestinian villages, claiming that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was about to celebrate his daughter’s 13th birthday.

Reports also indicate that Officer Avishai Moalem is also suspected of obstructing investigations and law enforcement against terrorist settlers and ignoring intelligence about terrorist settlers, both to please Ben-Gvir and to secure a promotion.