Matan Kahana: 'Settler violence' is a despicable term

Former MK Matan Kahana, a Yashar! party candidate, criticized the use of the term "settler violence," arguing that it unfairly tarnishes an entire community. During a conversation with high school students, Kahana was asked about the issue and responded: "I want to protest the use of the term 'settler violence.' It is a despicable term." "The settlers are a community of half a million people. They were the first to rush to the Gaza border communities to save their brothers. They are law-abiding, taxpaying citizens who serve in combat units. To say 'settler violence' is completely off the mark." Addressing the students, Kahana continued: "In a year, you will enlist in the military and meet these people. They will be your best friends. They will be willing to take a bullet for you, and you for them. That is why using the term 'settler violence' is disgraceful." However, Kahana distinguished between his opposition to generalizing about the settler community and the phenomenon he described as "nationalist crime" in Judea and Samaria. "We must honestly acknowledge that there is nationalist crime in Judea and Samaria. It harms the State of Israel, it is neither Jewish nor moral, and it must be fought with full force." Regarding the possibility of using administrative detention to combat the phenomenon, he added, "If the head of the Shin Bet says that administrative detention should be reinstated, perhaps that is what needs to be done. We must fight this disgraceful and despicable phenomenon of nationalist crime."