The New Occupation Army Commander in the West Bank: Engineer of 'Organized Violence' and the Doctrine of 'Lame Witnesses'

Hebrew press reports have shed light on the new leadership figure of the occupation army in the West Bank, General Avi Blot, describing him as the 'engineer of organized violence'. This interpretation reflects a fundamental shift in the Israeli military approach towards Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Blot is the first military commander for this position to come from a purely settler background, having grown up and received his education in the 'Eli' religious military school known for its extremism. This appointment was not merely a routine administrative procedure, but rather a strategic step aimed at integrating settler ideology into the official military system.

The new commander's vision is based on keeping the cities and villages of the West Bank in a state of constant and continuous friction with the occupation forces. This tactic aims to create daily tension that transforms Palestinian life into an open confrontation arena, without necessarily escalating into an all-out war that could get out of control.

Data indicates that the rates of Palestinian killings under Blot's command have reached record numbers not seen in the West Bank since 1967. Nevertheless, the military leadership attempts to market these operations as 'measured violence' targeting only those it describes as involved through precise and calculated gunfire.

The current occupation strategy relies on vague definitions of the term 'involved', giving soldiers a green light to target any Palestinian. This ambiguity in criteria turns every Palestinian citizen into a potential target, legitimizing field killings under the guise of military discipline.

In addition to military force, the economic factor is employed as a harsh deterrent against the population, with occupation authorities exploiting high unemployment rates. The difficult living conditions push Palestinian workers to risk crossing wall openings, making them easy targets for systematic punitive policies.

Blot invented what can be called the policy of 'lame witnesses', which relies on intentionally injuring Palestinian workers in their lower limbs. The goal is not always direct killing, but rather to leave a permanent disability in the injured person's body to serve as a living deterrent message to anyone who tries to defy occupation orders.

The new military commander seeks to establish the idea that crossing checkpoints or attempting to work without permits is an adventure fraught with physical danger. In this way, the military checkpoint transforms from a mere physical obstacle into a stable psychological idea that regulates Palestinian behavior even in the absence of soldiers.

Sources confirm that the Israeli control system carefully manages violence to portray it to the international community as a 'legitimate' act. The military leadership believes that any deviation from these rules by settlers could threaten this alleged legitimacy and undermine the state's monopoly on force.

To maintain this delicate balance, Blot tries to control the individual initiatives of settlers and prevent their random attacks that could ignite the situation. However, it is noted that he avoids direct confrontation with them for fear of disrupting what is called the 'Jewish supremacy system' within the military establishment.

The military leadership in the West Bank avoids carrying out its legal duties in curbing extremist settlers, justifying this with internal social and political repercussions. In contrast, it doubles the pressure on the Palestinian side to ensure a state of 'forced discipline' under the weight of weapons and intimidation.

Blot believes that the problem with the violence practiced by settlers is not in its essence, but in the fact that it occurs outside the framework of official state administration. He seeks to institutionalize this violence and place it under the supervision of the army to ensure the continuity of control over the land through settlement outposts and farms.

In this context, the military commander transforms into an 'organizer of perfected violence', precisely determining who has the right to use force and under what circumstances. Blot demands full powers to exercise this role without political or legal interventions that might hinder his extremist security vision.

Ultimately, Blot's policy reflects an Israeli desire to erase the distinctions between military dealings in Gaza and the West Bank. This strategy establishes a reality based on structural oppression that blends systematic killing, physical intimidation, and economic blackmail to ensure the subjugation of the Palestinian people.

Blot seeks to draw a clear line between violence practiced by the military establishment in an organized manner and uncontrolled violence that threatens the international legitimacy of the occupation.