Letter from Larry Shapiro, Calgary to Editor, The Guardian, re the story on settler-only IDF units functioning as vigilante militia

Feb. 2, 2026

Dear Editor,

The Palestinian resistance forces have experienced a calamity in the West Bank where attacks on Israelis have dropped from 847 in 2023, to 504 in 2024, to 57 in 2025. The drop is primarily the result of IDF counter terrorism measures. Naturally, the Palestinians, unable to bear the shame of their failures accuse the IDF units of being "vigilante militias". Palestinians can call Israel anything they want, and do, but they are no match for the IDF that is a professional moral fighting force.

All that has to happen to bring the violence to an end is for the Palestinians to recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state, something they are encouraged to resist by those in the media such as the Guardian that uncritically pass on every distortion such as describing IDF units as being made up solely of settlers.

Larry Shapiro, Calgary