In contradiction of extremely low conviction rates, settler violence
against Palestinians is at least a weekly occurrence in the West Bank
and East Jerusalem. In 2016, there have been an average of 2
incidents of settler violence per week in the West Bank and East
Jerusalem, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs. Incidents of settler violence are
notoriously under reported as victims often fear retaliation by the
Israeli police or their attackers. Moreover, there is little
hope that such complaints will be taken seriously: Israeli human rights
organization Yesh Din determined that a police complaint filed by a
Palestinian in the West Bank has a mere 1.9% chance of being effectively
investigated. Human rights groups say that such negligence on
the part of Israeli authorities constitutes yet another violation of
Israel’s legal obligation to protect the Palestinian population as an
occupying power.