One day after the left-wing organization Commanders for Israel's Security appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure the Israeli government over developments in the West Bank, the HaBitchonistim – The Israeli Defense and Security Forum (IDSF) – sent a counter-letter to the White House.
The letter was signed by the movement's chairman, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Erez Wiener, on behalf of what the organization said are tens of thousands of officers, commanders, and combat soldiers affiliated with the movement.
In the letter, HaBitchonistim argued that the appeal by Commanders for Israel's Security presents "a distorted picture of the security reality" and reflects what it described as a policy of "peace through surrender," which it said has repeatedly failed.
According to the movement, the same group previously supported Israel's 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip and the Iran nuclear agreement—policies that, it argued, weakened Israel's security, strengthened terrorist organizations, and ultimately contributed to the circumstances leading up to the October 7 Hamas attack.
The letter also stated that comparing localized incidents in the West Bank to the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7 amounts to "moral bankruptcy" and harms the reputation of hundreds of thousands of law-abiding residents of Judea and Samaria.
HaBitchonistim further claimed that the narrative surrounding what it described as the "settler violence campaign" is based on false claims that exaggerate isolated incidents while diverting attention from what it called the primary security threat: Palestinian terrorism and Iranian efforts to establish a foothold in the West Bank.
At the same time, the movement stressed that any act of violence must be met with firm law enforcement and full legal accountability, regardless of the identity of those involved.
The organization also argued that data published by the United Nations and left-wing organizations include incidents that it says are not violent in nature. It further claimed that, in many cases, complaints filed against Israeli settlers were later found to be false.
As one example, the letter cited an incident in which a fire initially attributed to settlers was ultimately determined by a police investigation to have been caused by a fault in an illegal electrical connection.
The letter concluded with a direct message to Trump: "You have always known how to distinguish between the truth and alternative facts. We call on you to continue standing with the truth, justice, and the steadfast alliance between the United States and Israel."
Alongside the submission of the letter, HaBitchonistim launched a public petition calling for stronger support for IDF soldiers and Israel's security forces, backing Israeli sovereignty and Jewish settlement, and emphasizing that decisions concerning Israel's security are made in Jerusalem—not in Washington.
The movement called on the public to sign the petition and express support for Israel's security forces and the country's security efforts.