Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar sent a letter of warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and other ministers stating that "Jewish terrorism" represents a threat to the State, Channel 12 News reported.
“I’m writing you this letter in pain, great fear, as a Jew, as an Israeli, and as a member of a security force, about the growing phenomenon of Jewish terrorism from the Hilltop Youth,” Bar wrote.
He added that "the 'Hilltop Youth' phenomenon has long since become a widespread breeding ground for violent activity against Palestinians" and that this activity should not be considered nationalistic because it "challenges the nation."
Bar claimed, “The damage to the State of Israel, especially now and to the vast majority of the settlers, is indescribable: global delegitimization, even among our greatest allies; spreading thin the IDF’s personnel which is already struggling to keep up with all its missions and which wasn’t intended to deal with this; vengeful attacks that are sparking another front in the multi-front war we are in; putting more players into the cycle of terror; a slippery slope to the feeling of a lack of governance; another obstacle to creating local alliances that we need against the Shi'ite axis; and above all, a massive stain on Judaism and us all."
“I am convinced that we need an explicit statement that this is wrong and dangerous – morally and for security. We need an inter-ministerial effort to stem the phenomenon. I’m convinced that this needs to be one of the government’s main goals before it’s too late,” he said.