Israeli President Isaac Herzog has launched a fierce condemnation of recent settler violence in the West Bank, labeling the actions of those involved as “brutishness” that directly threatens the moral and legal foundations of the state.
According to a report by The Times of Israel on Sunday, May 24, 2026, Herzog made the remarks during a speech at the Jerusalem Unity Prize ceremony. The president also utilized the platform to firmly criticize the mistreatment of detainees in Israeli custody—a move widely interpreted as a direct rebuke of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
Herzog did not hold back in his assessment of the recent unrest in the West Bank, warning that the unchecked actions of a radical minority are actively tarnishing the country’s core values.
“We are witnesses to a wave of terrible violence that is being carried out by an anarchist mob, acts that defile and violate every basic moral, legal, and Jewish norm,” Herzog declared during the event.
The president emphasized that Israeli society must collectively reject such lawlessness to protect its internal cohesion.
“We must not tolerate this brutishness that comes from the margins of society and threatens us all,” Herzog added. “Our people are a magnificent people, with tremendous strengths, but we must draw red lines. I stand here and say it out loud, unity begins with humanity.”
Shifting his focus to state institutions and accountability, Herzog addressed the growing controversy surrounding the conditions and treatment of individuals in Israeli detention centers. He insisted that difficult security environments do not absolve authorities of their humanitarian obligations.
“It must be forbidden to abuse prisoners,” Herzog stated plainly, reiterating that basic humanitarian standards must be strictly upheld regardless of the severity of the accusations against the detainees.
Analysts note that Herzog’s statements on prisoner welfare appear to be a direct reaction to a recent video published by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
In the footage, Ben Gvir is seen personally confronting activists who were detained following their participation in the high-profile Global Summit Flotilla.
The presidential rebuke immediately triggered a sharp political backlash from the National Security Minister.
Refusing to back down, Ben Gvir took to social media to call for Herzog’s fitness for office to be questioned.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Ben Gvir countered: “A president who calls hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens brutes is not fit to be president. Full stop……See More
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