Sorry, Hilltop Youth

PELONI:  In the wake of political indecision, the Hilltop Youth provide a clear and effective deterrence to illegal land grabs by the Arabs in Judea and Samaria, while also using them at times as a geopolitical crutch to answer the Arabist catcalls of “Settler Violence” from allied nations, not least of which includes the US.  So when Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar share their sense of regret in the commentary written below, this is the basis on which that apology is based.

Yehudit Katsover & Nadia Matar, co-chairs of the Sovereignty Movement | Ribonut.co.il | Sept 21, 2026

Judean hills. Photo by Inbal & Nir from Arad, Israel – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikipdia

We are sorry that we let you stand alone,
that we allow you to be made the scapegoat,
while attempts are made to push you- and with you, the entire right-wing camp-
from the ideological cliff into the depths of lies and injustice.

We are sorry that, too often, we remain silent,
perhaps hoping that the storm will pass,
because surely, tomorrow,
the Left will find the next issue to attack.

We are sorry that we do not do enough to bring your voices to the public-
your videos, your moments, your dedication,
the self-sacrifice of those who rise every morning to this land
and choose to live here, even when it is difficult,
even when it is uncomfortable, even when there is fear.

Because the public is often fed edited videos,
a single point of view, a partial picture,
while your side is forgotten-
the lives themselves, the effort, the daily reality.

We are sorry that we do not do enough to ease the difficult conditions in which you live:
without proper roads, without running water,
without reliable electricity, without a guaranteed livelihood.
We need to do more –
especially now, with winter just around the corner.

We are sorry that we do not know how to appreciate you, the boys and girls
who set out each morning to herd your flocks,
with a piece of bread, water and a walking stick,
and rise each day with a new song in your hearts.

Perhaps we are the strange ones,
the ones who have forgotten how to love the land without calculation,
to love the vast expanses of our country,
without dividing them into Areas A, B and C.

We are sorry that we do not always understand the blessing you bring:
protecting the land,
preserving the open spaces,
maintaining a Jewish presence on the ground,
and creating a sense of presence and deterrence.

And we are sorry, too, for the attempts to compare you to the Arab enemy.

No young Jewish person who rises in the morning to tend his flock
does so with the intention of harming his neighbor.

So, Hilltop Youth, we are sorry-
for the silence.
For the injustice.
For the missing pictures.
For not always standing beside you with a clear voice.

And above all -we are sorry that we have not succeeded in abolishing the Oslo Accords,
leaving you to carry on the task of continuing to reclaim the Land
and bringing sovereignty.

We see you.
We know you are there.
And we should not have to wait for the next wave of attacks
to remember that you are bringing freedom to this land.