Pogromists Rule the West Bank

Recent weeks have seen settlers violently rampaging through the West Bank in a spate of attacks that are extreme even by usual West Bank standards. The latest victim was the village of Duma, which was raided on Tuesday evening by dozens of settlers, who torched vehicles and buildings (Hagar Shezaf, Haaretz, April 1).

The timing of the pogrom was symbolic. In early April of last year, settlers raided Duma and the neighboring village of Al-Mughayyir, setting fire to much property, stoning and shooting at their inhabitants. This came after the murder of Binyamin Ahimeir, a teenage boy. One person was killed by gunfire in Al-Mughayyir. No one was prosecuted for participating in these attacks. Yedioth Ahronoth photographer Shaul Golan was attacked in that incident, and to this day no indictment has been filed over that attack.