{
  "id": 7693722,
  "title": "Poll: A third of Israelis call settler rioters ‘terrorists’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/poll-a-third-of-israelis-call-settler-rioters-terrorists",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T03:30:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-908728"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "According to a recent survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute, one-third of Israelis consider Jewish rioters involved in violence in the West Bank village of Kusra to be \"terrorists.\" An additional 18% labeled them as \"nationalist criminals,\" indicating that the rioters are viewed as outliers in Israeli society. JPPI President Yedidia Stern emphasized that support for the rioters is negligible, with only 5% of respondents viewing them favorably. The survey found that more than half of Israelis harshly judge the rioters, with 13% describing them as \"young people who sometimes go too far\" or \"the salt of the earth.\" The Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has faced pressure from the Trump administration and European nations to address the situation. Netanyahu has previously resisted stronger action due to the presence of far-right parties in his coalition that sympathize with the rioters. The survey also revealed that political affiliation significantly influences perceptions of the rioters, with 63% of left-leaning respondents calling them \"Israeli terrorists,\" 49% of centrists, and just 3% of right-wing respondents. Arab Israelis were more likely to use the term, with 55% describing the rioters as terrorists, compared to 27% of Jewish Israelis. The incident in Kusra involved masked Israelis throwing stones at Palestinian residents and barricading themselves inside a home, resulting in several Palestinians being wounded. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned the event as a \"horrific act of terror.\" The survey was conducted between September 1-3 among 663 Jewish respondents and 206 Arab respondents, with the data weighted to represent Israel's adult population.",
  "summary": "A new survey finds one-third of Israelis describe Jewish rioters involved in recent West Bank violence as “Israeli terrorists,” while another 18% call them “nationalist criminals.”",
  "key_points": [
    "One-third of Israelis call West Bank rioters 'terrorists'",
    "18% label them 'nationalist criminals'",
    "Political affiliation influences perceptions of rioters"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The survey suggests a significant divide in Israeli society over settler rioters, with a majority disapproving of their actions and a strong correlation between political affiliation and perceptions of the rioters.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}