Former US ambassador against investigation on settlers: "An embarrassing joke"

Former US ambassador to Israel David Friedman attacked the "60 Minutes" report on claims of "settler violence" in Judea and Samaria, accusing the program of one-sided coverage and claiming that Palestinian terror is the main threat in the area. According to him, Israeli sovereignty is the only way to end the violence.

Former US ambassador to Israel David Friedman launched a sharp attack today (Monday) against the report by the American investigative program "60 Minutes," which dealt with the "settler violence" campaign and sheep farms in Judea and Samaria. Friedman claimed the report joins a series of false and biased reports by the program, calling it "an embarrassing joke for anyone who is actually on the ground." According to him, the program ignored the fact that Palestinian terror in Judea and Samaria constitutes a far more severe threat than the incidents of violence attributed to settlers. He stressed that the Jews living in the area are subject to ongoing attacks, and that their right to live there is anchored in the Bible, in Israeli law and in international law. "If they don't fight back – they won't exist," he wrote, accusing the Palestinians of presenting the confrontations in a one-sided manner. Friedman made clear that he does not deny the existence of violence in the area, but rather opposes presenting it in isolation from Palestinian terror. "The only solution is to install a real sovereign, and Israel is the only candidate," he concluded. The "60 Minutes" report, broadcast on CBS, was presented by Lesley Stahl. The program claimed that since the beginning of the year more than 1,600 incidents attributed to settlers have occurred, based on UN data. Among those interviewed was Mordechai Minster, who made clear that the existence of confrontations does not detract from the Jewish people's right to the land.