Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman launched a fierce assault on Monday against a feature by the American investigative news magazine 60 Minutes that addressed the “settler violence” campaign and Jewish sheep ranches in Judea and Samaria.
2+Friedman asserted that the segment adds to what he described as a long catalog of false, biased reporting by the broadcast network. “60 Minutes is currently dealing with the issue of ‘settler violence’ in Judea and Samaria,” he wrote. “It is an embarrassing joke for anyone who is actually on the ground living the real-world challenges of Judea and Samaria.”
According to Friedman, the program turned a blind eye to the reality that ‘Palestinian’ terrorism in Judea and Samaria constitutes an incomparably graver threat than isolated altercations attributed to residents. He emphasized that Jewish residents living in the region face persistent armed attacks from ‘Palestinians’, and that their inherent right to live there is anchored in the Bible, Israeli jurisprudence, and international law. If they do not fight back—they will cease to exist,” Friedman wrote. He accused ‘Palestinians’ of exploiting Western media channels to frame encounters selectively: “The ‘Palestinians’ play the media like a violin. They know exactly when and how to film an altercation to present it in a skewed, one-sided manner. 60 Minutes took the bait knowingly.”
“Israel Is the Sole Candidate”
Friedman clarified that he does not deny the existence of sporadic clashes in Judea and Samaria, but firmly objected to depicting them in a vacuum severed from Palestinian terrorism and the persistent security perils residents endure. In his view, the essential question is how to end the violence, rather than simply debating its existence.
2+“The only solution is to install a true sovereign, and Israel is the only candidate,” the former ambassador concluded, openly calling for the application of Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria to restore law, order, and governance.
The 60 Minutes segment, broadcast on CBS on Sunday night, was reported by veteran correspondent Lesley Stahl. The program argued that certain agricultural sheep ranches are utilized to take over land tracts and displace ‘Palestinians’ from their properties, alleging that violent incidents occur without adequate law enforcement by Israeli authorities.
2+The broadcast showcased Jewish sheep farmers, left-wing activists, and members of a ‘Palestinian’ family claiming they were denied access to their homes. Among those interviewed was Mordechai Munster, a founder of one of the sheep outposts, who maintained that local frictions do not diminish the Jewish people’s fundamental right to the land: “The fact that violence exists does not change the validity of our right to the land,” he stated.
Claims Presented in the Report
The CBS broadcast claimed that over 1,600 incidents attributed to Jewish residents have been registered since the beginning of the year, citing United Nations data, and asserted that hundreds of youths form the activist core across hilltops and ranches. The network further alleged that the Israeli government fails to act with sufficient vigor to curb the phenomenon.
Video: From ’60 Minutes’
During the piece, Stahl also referenced the position of the current U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, noting past remarks in which acts of vigilante violence against ‘Palestinians’ were labeled as unacceptable and their perpetrators characterized as thugs. Munster pushed back on the framing, while acknowledging that fringe youths acting aggressively must be brought under control.
The feature aired just weeks ahead of national elections in Israel and midterm elections in the United States, with the program explicitly linking events in Judea and Samaria to broader American debates surrounding defense aid to Israel. Friedman countered that such coverage deliberately obfuscates ‘Palestinian’ terrorism while stripping Israeli residents of their legitimate right to self-defense.