Erez Reuveni | Sunday on 60 Minutes

A former Israeli settler leader has made headlines for his brazen claims about the dangers of Palestinian presence in Jerusalem's Old City. Erez Reuveni, who served as the head of the settler council in East Jerusalem from 2007 to 2014, appeared on CBS's 60 Minutes, sparking controversy with his assertions that Palestinians are plotting to "obliterate" Jewish life in the city.

Reuveni's comments have been widely criticized by human rights groups and Palestinian leaders as an example of racist rhetoric. According to the former settler leader, the Palestinian population is becoming increasingly radicalized, with many young Palestinians expressing a desire to establish a sovereign state on Jewish land.

However, experts argue that Reuveni's narrative is based on flawed assumptions about the nature of Palestinian aspirations and the complexities of Jerusalem's history. "The notion that Palestinians are monolithic and united in their goal to destroy Jewish life in Jerusalem is simply not supported by facts," said Dr. Hanin Zeeb, a professor at Birzeit University in the West Bank.

Reuveni's comments have also raised questions about his own motivations, given his history of promoting extremist views on Palestinian issues. As head of the settler council, he was instrumental in organizing protests and rallies against Palestinian residents in East Jerusalem, often using inflammatory language to describe their presence.

The debate over Reuveni's remarks highlights the ongoing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, with each side accused of perpetuating false narratives about the other's intentions. As the region teeters on the brink of renewed conflict, it is essential to prioritize nuance and fact-based analysis when examining complex issues like Jerusalem's status.

Despite his claims of concern for Jewish life in Jerusalem, Reuveni's actions have long been seen as part of a larger effort to undermine Palestinian rights and aspirations. His appearance on 60 Minutes has only served to amplify these concerns, sparking renewed calls for calm and constructive dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians.

u know whats weird about reuvenis comments? hes literally living in east jerusalem & hes complaining about the palesatinian population meanwhile hes been instrumental in organizing anti-palestinian protests & rallies. its like hes trying to gaslight ppl into thinking hes got some kinda expert insight on the situation when really hes just spewing hate speech

anyway, i think its super important that we dont just accept this kind of rhetoric as factual. dr hanin zeeb makes a huge point about the fact that palestinians arent monolithic & their aspirations are way more complex than just "obliterating jewish life". what i wish ppl would do is listen to both sides & try to understand where each other is coming from, rather than trying to label one side as evil or racist.

I'm not buying into this whole 'Palestinian threat' narrative... it's just a bunch of misinformation and fear-mongering. I mean, have you seen the way Reuveni uses loaded language to describe Palestinian residents as if they're some kind of monolithic evil force? It's super suspicious considering his track record of promoting extremist views. And what about all the protests and rallies he organized against Palestinians in East Jerusalem? That doesn't exactly scream 'concern for Jewish life'... it sounds like a classic case of deflecting responsibility and manipulating emotions to suit their agenda. We need more nuanced thinking and less inflammatory rhetoric when discussing sensitive issues like Jerusalem's status

what a masterclass in doublespeak – this guy's been stirring up drama as a settler leader and now he's playing the victim by claiming he's just worried about Jewish life meanwhile, his whole history of inciting protests is conveniently being erased like a digital breadcrumb trail let's be real, if you're promoting extremist views to further your own agenda, that's not 'concern' or 'fear', it's just plain old racism

I'm gettin' so tired of people like Erez Reuveni spoutin' off about the "dangers" of Palestinian presence in Jerusalem's Old City . Like, dude, you've been a part of the settler movement for years, organizin' protests and rallies against Palestinian residents... it's pretty clear where your loyalties lie . And then he has the nerve to say that Palestinians are "radicalized" and want to "obliterate" Jewish life in Jerusalem? Give me a break . The fact is, there are people on both sides who are fed up with the status quo and want real change. We need to stop perpetuatin' these false narratives and start listenin' to each other's stories . And let's be real, if Reuveni was really concerned about Jewish life in Jerusalem, he'd be workin' on solutions that benefit everyone, not just his own extremist views .

omg this guy is just a master manipulator he's using the whole "concern for Jewish life" thing as a smokescreen to further his own extremist agenda. i mean, who tries to rally people against each other with inflammatory rhetoric? it's like, how hard is it to have a real conversation about complex issues without resorting to hate speech and misinformation

and can we talk about how cherry-picked the facts are here? "the Palestinian population is becoming increasingly radicalized"? where's the evidence for that? isn't it possible that some Palestinians just want to live in peace and have their rights recognized too? i'm so tired of these kinds of divisive narratives being presented as fact.

anyway, let's get back to having nuanced conversations about the Middle East conflict. we need more facts, less fear-mongering

I think its wild how one person can whip up this kind of hate with just a few words. Erez Reuveni's comments are like a powder keg - they might seem like a minor spark to some, but in reality they're fueling a huge fire that's been burning between Israelis and Palestinians for decades.

I mean, we all know Jerusalem is a super sensitive city, but does it really have to be this toxic? Both sides have so much to lose if things escalate again. I'm all for standing up for what you believe in, but there's a difference between being passionate about something and spewing hate speech that just gets people fired up.

I wish more people could see the human side of the Palestinian and Israeli conflicts - we're not just talking about politics here, we're talking about real people with families and homes and hopes and fears. We need to find ways to talk to each other, not at each other.

so i was watching this video of eres reuveni on 60 minutes and i just dont get it why he's being so racist and discriminatory towards palestinians like whats the point of saying they're all gonna obliterate jewish life in jerusalem? does he really think thats a legit concern or is he just trying to stir up some drama and what about all these claims that palestinians are radicalizing? isnt that just a stereotype? i mean dr hanin zeeb made some pretty good points about how theres no evidence to support those claims... anyway, it feels like eres reuveni is just trying to fuel the hate and i wish people would focus on finding common ground instead of being all divisive

this is so sad and frustrating... i mean can u imagine being judged based on the actions of one person? Erez Reuveni's words are really hurtful to many people, especially those who live in Jerusalem's Old City . it's like he's saying that an entire group of people is 'radicalized' just because they want their own home and freedom . the fact that his comments have been criticized by so many experts and human rights groups shows that he's not being taken seriously .

i wish more people would try to understand each other's perspectives and feelings before jumping to conclusions or making judgments about someone's intentions . it's just so easy to get caught up in hate speech and rhetoric, but we need to do better . let's focus on having respectful conversations and working towards peace and understanding .

Ugh, this guy Erez Reuveni is seriously giving me Stranger Things vibes... all that 'we're gonna destroy each other' stuff . I mean, come on, where's the nuance? He's like a villain from Inception or something . And honestly, it's hard not to see this as a case of 'the enemy is us' mentality, you know? It's like he's trying to create this narrative that Palestinians are all radicalized and out to get him... meanwhile, I'm over here thinking, 'dude, most Palestinians just want to live their lives in peace?' . We need more fact-based analysis and less inflammatory rhetoric, you know? It's like, can't we all just get along?

omg u gotta think about this, eres reuveni is like the ultimate example of how one persons views get warped by their own biases he's not even talking about a unified palestinian state, just that young ppl r becoming more radicalized... but honestly, who hasn't been at some point in thier life? it's not like it's some kinda universal truth. and lets be real, his whole approach is rooted in fear & misinformation... like what if instead of stoking the flames, ppl actually tried to have a nuanced convo about jerusalem's history & its complexities? it's all too easy to get caught up in the 'us vs them' narrative, but at the end of the day, we gotta find a way to work towards actual peace.

this guy Erez Reuveni is just making a mess with his words he's been spreading hate and fear about the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, but nobody ever thinks about how that affects them ppl need to stop believing everything they hear on tv & think for themselves also why do ppl keep giving airtime to folks who are so clearly trying to stir up trouble? it's just making things worse

Ugh, can't believe what this dude is spewing . Like, how can you even say that with a straight face? The idea that all Palestinians want to "obliterate" Jewish life in Jerusalem is just not true . I mean, have they ever even talked to anyone from Palestine? They're just perpetuating this toxic narrative that's only fueling the fire .

And let's be real, Erez Reuveni has a history of promoting extremist views . It's like he's trying to stir up hate and violence . The fact that he's being taken seriously by some people is just crazy . We need to call out this kind of rhetoric for what it is: divisive, inflammatory, and downright dangerous .

It's time for us to focus on facts and nuance instead of perpetuating false narratives . Let's work towards understanding and empathy, not hate and fear . We can't just sit back and let people like Reuveni fuel the conflict . We have to be better than that .

omg this guy is just perpetuating the same old stereotypes he's like, super worried about Jewish life in Jerusalem but his whole history of being a settler leader shows that he's been more interested in tearing ppl apart than finding peace newsflash errez: just 'cause u have a different perspective on things doesn't mean u get to spit venom at others. we need leaders who are gonna bring people together, not drive 'em further apart

Im not surprised by this guy's comments , I mean he's been spouting some pretty extremist views on palestinian issues in the past. But still, it's concerning that he's able to get a platform on a major news show like 60 minutes and spread these kinds of narratives about Palestinians trying to "obliterate" jewish life. It sounds like a total exaggeration to me . I think we need to be careful not to perpetuate false narratives ourselves, though - it's easy to do when we're caught up in the heat of the moment or biased towards one side of the issue.

And yeah, it's clear that Reuveni's got some pretty deep-seated issues with palestinians . Like, he was instrumental in organizing protests against them in east jerusalem back in the day... that's not exactly a history of nuanced understanding, if you ask me . So while I get where he's coming from as a jewish guy who's concerned about his community's presence in jerusalem, I don't buy into all the drama and hyperbole he's spewing. Let's try to keep it civil and focus on finding real solutions that work for everyone .