The extremists want chaos before the elections - the price could be a Palestinian state | Ben Caspit

Ben Caspit warns that far-right elements seeking to ignite the West Bank ahead of the elections could lead to a forced internationally-backed settlement, including the establishment of a Palestinian state. He notes that despite the achievements of the IDF and Shin Bet in the war on terror, illegal settler activity continues, and the situation could lead to an intifada and international intervention.

In his column in Maariv, Ben Caspit warns that far-right elements working to ignite the West Bank ahead of the elections, hoping to gain mandates, could cause the opposite damage. According to him, despite the achievements of the IDF and Shin Bet in the war on Palestinian terror over the past year, illegal settler activity – "hikes", arson of homes and mosques, and Palestinian casualties – continues. Caspit notes that the IDF is stretched across the fronts of Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran, and the need to allocate 26 battalions to the West Bank is burdensome. He claims that Israel has lost American support, even among Republicans, and that an explosion in the West Bank could lead to international intervention and a forced settlement including a Palestinian state. The column uses charged language like "galactic explosion" and "we lost America" to emphasize the danger.