What the Government Isn’t Telling You About the West Bank

The West Bank is home to competing national movements, deep tensions, and unresolved questions about the future. Among its most controversial groups is a small faction of Jewish radicals known as the hilltop youth. Their actions have sparked debate across Israel and beyond, raising difficult questions about ideology, law, and accountability. Who are they, and why has confronting this challenge become so complicated? Special thanks to Rabbi Yehuda HaKohen of the Vision Movement https://visionmag.org/author/yehuda-h...,    / @visionmagazine2787   Chapters 00:00 Opening Montage 01:09 The West Bank Reality 03:22 Who Are the Hilltop Youth? 06:12 Life on the Hilltops 08:29 The Birth of Price Tag Attacks 10:04 From Outposts to Palestinians 12:07 Are These Attacks Terrorism? 14:01 Why So Few Prosecutions? 15:31 Government Crackdowns and Their Limits 17:50 Politics, Ben Gvir, and Public Debate 20:11 Can the Cycle Be Broken? Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! https://www.youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_... Recommended video—Are West Bank Settlers the Most Dangerous Jews in Israel? -    • Are West Bank Settlers the Most Dangerous ...   We have merch! – http://shop.Unpacked.media/?utm_mediu... Let’s connect: Website — https://www.Unpacked.media Instagram — /unpackedmedia Twitter — /unpackedmedia TikTok — /unpackedmedia Facebook — /unpackedmedia ------ Sources: Ben-Gvir ‘proud’ of less policing of Hilltop Youth after fiery week of West Bank extremism.” The Jerusalem Post, Nov. 13, 2025. “Data Sheet: Law Enforcement on Israeli Civilians in the West Bank (Settler Violence), 2005–2025.” Yesh Din, Jan. 1, 2026. “Israel Works on Mapping Illegal Outposts in West Bank.” Xinhua, May 8, 2006. “Israel’s US Envoy Says Settler Violence a ‘Stain’ Costing the Nation Friends.” The Times of Israel, Mar. 25, 2026. “Price Tag and Extremist Attacks in Israel.” ADL, June 20, 2017. “Spotlight on Terrorism,” Jan. 2026 and Feb. 2026. Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute, Feb. 16 and June 3, 2026. “Stemming Israeli Settler Violence at Its Root.” International Crisis Group, Sept. 6, 2024. “Study: Israel Demolished 3% of Illegal Outposts.” Democracy Now!, Dec. 5, 2007. “Wave of Terror, 2015–2026.” Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accessed June 5, 2026. Segal, Amit. X post on new Defense Ministry unit to address settler violence, Mar. 29, 2026. Ben Meir, Yehuda. “The Disengagement: An Ideological Crisis.” Strategic Assessment 7, no. 4 (Mar. 2005). Cohen, Reem. “Jewish Terrorism in Judea and Samaria—A Strategic-Security Threat.” INSS Insight No. 2088, Jan. 22, 2026. Fabian, Emanuel, and Noam Lehmann. “IDF Launches Broad Counterterror Operation in Northern West Bank.” The Times of Israel, Nov. 26, 2025. Friedman, Shimi. The Hilltop Youth: A Stage of Resistance and Counter-Culture Practice. Lexington Books, 2007. Harel, Amos. “Israeli ‘Jewish Terror’ Incidents Targeting Palestinians Tripled in 2018.” Haaretz, Jan. 6, 2019. Joffre, Tzvi. “Police Arrest Settlers Suspected of Attacking IDF Soldiers Near Yitzhar.” The Jerusalem Post, Feb. 20, 2023. Kershner, Isabel. “Israel Acts to Cut Off Funds to Illegal Settlements.” The New York Times, Nov. 2, 2008. Levinson, Chaim. “Torture Allegations Pit Shin Bet Against the Settler Community.” Haaretz, Dec. 19, 2015. Rom, Itay. “Not Leftist Spin: If a Radical Hilltop Youth Says Settler Violence Is a Feature, Not a Bug, Why Deny It?” Haaretz, Mar. 5, 2026. Shapiro, Samantha. “The Unsettlers.” The New York Times, Feb. 16, 2003. Sharon, Jeremy. “After Uprooting Palestinian Hamlets, Extremist Settlers Set Sights on Purge of Entire West Bank.” The Times of Israel, Mar. 31, 2026. Solomon, Shoshanna. “In Israel, Outrage Rises Over Wartime Settler Violence in West Bank.” The Christian Science Monitor, Mar. 26, 2026. Tercatin, Rossella. “‘We Cannot Remain Silent’: 400 Gush Etzion Residents Sign Petition Against Settler Attacks.” The Times of Israel, Nov. 24, 2025. ------ Image and footage credits: IDF Spokesperson's Office IsraelSocialTV Btselem Israeli Government Press Office: Moshe Milner, Mark Neyman, Avi Ohayon i24News David Livshits -------- Executive Producers: Michael Steinhardt Co-Executive Producers: Marc Shmuel Levine Iris & Shalom Maidenbaum Gold Level: The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life -------- Translation credits: Portuguese: Saymon Pires About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking. #israel #westbank #palestine