Ex-Israeli defense minister calls West Bank settler violence 'ethnic cleansing'

Former Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon publicly characterized violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank as 'ethnic cleansing,' urging the next government to halt funding and encouragement of such actors. This marks a notable deviation from mainstream Israeli political discourse, potentially signaling internal dissent. The claim is attributed to Ya'alon and not independently verified, but its source lends it weight.