Israeli settlers start a war

Haaretz Editorial

Settlers in the West Bank are taking advantage of the “opportunity” afforded to them, through the war initiated by “Hamas,” to expel thousands of Palestinians from their homes and lands. They intimidate them in various ways, all in order to expel them from their villages, far from everyone's sight. Meanwhile, the West Bank is changing irreversibly.

There is no one to stop the settlers, nor anyone who thinks about defending the security of the Palestinian population. Despite many warnings by Israeli army commanders about the consequences of settler violence, which could lead to the opening of a second front, the army on the ground turns a blind eye, and sometimes, its soldiers participate in the riots. 

This chaos situation is unbearable. It is the government that bears responsibility, and above all, the one who heads it, Benjamin Netanyahu, and also, and no less important, the army, whose mission must be to maintain order in the occupied territories and defend their residents, according to the Geneva Convention.

In light of the war, settlers are trying to prevent Palestinians from harvesting olives throughout the West Bank (Hagar Sisav, “Haaretz,” 11/15); With the encouragement of Bezalel Smotrich and Zvi Sukkot, the settlers launched a campaign aimed at preventing the harvest under various security pretexts. The Yesh Din organization [there is an account] documented 99 violent attacks carried out by settlers against olive pickers, compared to 38 incidents recorded last year, and in 18 of these incidents, soldiers were the ones who prevented Palestinians from picking olives, which constitute one of their last resources. 

For the Palestinians, especially during the siege period, it is a general family occasion for them. A soldier who was on leave had previously shot an olive picker. He was quickly released and returned to his operational activity, as if nothing had happened.

In light of the war, settlers are also rampaging in southern Mount Hebron. The ranks of the preparedness turned into armed militias imposing their will on the herders’ groups in the region, some of whom fled there, fearing for their lives, and abandoned their village and their property. Based on Israeli B'Tselem's numbers, 16 villages have been left by their people since the outbreak of the war.

This dangerous bullying must stop. While the army is fighting in the south and north, the settlers are starting another war, and no one is stopping them.