The settlement conference in Jerusalem...reinforcing the dominance of colonial ideology

The extremist settlers held a conference in the nation’s buildings in Jerusalem to encourage settlement in the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank, to the sound of hostile and extremist headlines, foremost of which was the displacement of the Palestinian people, and under the slogan “Death to the Arabs and settlement across the length and breadth of the country.”

Thousands of settlers and their leaders participated in this conference, and at the forefront of attendance were 12 extremist ministers from the Likud and Jewish Zionist parties, and more than 15 members of the Knesset, which reinforces the scene of extremism within Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, especially since the talk of the officials and participants in this conference focused on what they described ( “With the shame of disengagement, deportation, and displacement of settlements,” referring to the step of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who ordered a unilateral withdrawal from the settlements in the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the northern West Bank in 2005.

While the participants raised a banner reading, “Only transfer (the displacement of Palestinians) will bring peace,” the participating ministers and members of the Knesset signed a “petition” titled “The Treaty of Victory and Renewal of Settlement in the Gaza Strip and North Samaria,” as a response to the October 7 attack, considering that this is what will bring “security” to the occupying state.

During the conference, a plan was reviewed to establish more than one settlement nucleus in Beit Hanoun, the southern coast, Khan Yunis, and finally Rafah, and to build more settlements in the north of the West Bank. All of this coincides with the recent political developments in the region in light of talk of the imminent reaching of an exchange deal that will end the fighting and aggression against Gaza Strip, but the participants in the conference are a broad and large movement that has its weight and influence on Netanyahu, based on the colonial ideology that was absorbed in their minds and brought by their fathers who were founders of the major settlement movements and organizations to apply to Palestine. They occupied its land and controlled it and established the first settlement building in “Gush Etzion” and "Maale Adumim", bringing the number of settlements today to more than 167 settlements.

In the interventions delivered by the head of the so-called “Samaria” settlements, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and others, they demanded what they described as a return to their homes, referring to the revival of the “Gush Katif” settlements in exchange for encouraging the displacement of Palestinians. In this racist call, there is systematic Israeli insistence. It is programmed to reinforce, encourage and continue the aggression against Gaza and the West Bank because the settlements are colonial outposts whose goal is to control the lands of others, and this is what Israel has been doing since the beginning of its occupation.

Are the American statements that were launched yesterday criticizing these steps useful? The answer: It is a diplomatic and tactical means to promote positions before world opinion because the United States is considered one of the most important, largest, and most dangerous designers of the life scene for the Israelis at the expense of usurping the freedom of the people who own the land and sovereignty.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant promised the Americans a week ago that there would be no new settlements in the Gaza Strip. Will he keep his promise or will he bow to the extremist storm of settlers?