West Bank on Hot Coals: Israeli Message to Trump

Nearly 600 former senior Israeli officials sent a letter to US President Donald Trump on the eve of his meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, warning of 'terrorist activity by settlers' in the West Bank.

The signatories, under the umbrella of the organization 'Israeli Security Leaders', who are former senior officials in the Israeli army, Mossad, Shin Bet, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the escalating wave of violence could be 'more destructive' than the Hamas attacks on October 7 and their repercussions.

The letter was sent to the White House and to a number of American officials, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, where the signatories called on Trump to directly intervene and use his influence to pressure Netanyahu's government to stop this escalation. The letter said: "You alone can prevent this catastrophe. We hope you will convey a strong and clear message."

Nearly 600 prominent Israeli figures, including former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak and former security leaders, had signed in June a separate letter warning Netanyahu against resorting to international and local courts if 'Jewish terrorism' in the West Bank continued to be overlooked.