Dr. Bilal Al-Shoubaki: Efforts to bring a million settlers to the West Bank aim to create a Jewish majority, which directly threatens the national project
Abdullah Abu Rahma: The success of the settlers’ escalation means implementing the decisive plan, and if we surrender, the future of the West Bank will be dark
Nabhan Khreisha: Settler attacks are increasing in intensity as part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at ethnic cleansing and expanding settlements
Professor Jamal Harfoush: Settler attacks are part of a strategy aimed at changing the demographic and geographical realities of the West Bank
Muhammad Abu Allan Daraghmeh: The Israeli position is clear that no settlement will be evacuated.. and there is no future for the West Bank in the presence of settlers
The aggression of settlers in the West Bank is escalating in an unprecedented manner, supported by official government and military support, which is evident in the formation of armed militias and the provision of weapons to settlers, aiming to reshape the geographical and demographic reality of the West Bank, which threatens the future of the Palestinians and their national project. In separate interviews with “I”, writers, political analysts, specialists and academics fear that settlers will commit massacres in the West Bank, to confuse the cards and disrupt the completion of the deal in Gaza.
They believe that the attacks are not limited to Area C, but extend to Area B and even A, which reflects a comprehensive targeting of the Palestinian presence and threatens the entity of the Palestinians. They believe that the current Israeli plans, led by an extremist right-wing government, which seeks to bring a million new settlers to the West Bank by 2030, aim to impose new facts that make it impossible to achieve the two-state solution or establish an independent Palestinian state.
In light of this escalation, they stress the need to confront these plans through comprehensive strategies that include strengthening national unity, forming popular protection committees, and exposing Israeli violations at the international level, while Palestinian steadfastness on the ground, along with the international community’s move to impose sanctions on the occupation, are the only way to thwart these plans and protect the Palestinian identity and the future of the West Bank.
An existential threat that goes beyond security or physical threats.
Dr. Bilal Al-Shoubaki, a professor of political science at Hebron University, believes that the settler army in the West Bank poses an existential threat to the Palestinians, which goes beyond security or material threats to affect the entire Palestinian political project.
Al-Shoubaki believes that this challenge must be faced with a clear and systematic political vision, far from the state of division that the Palestinian arena is suffering from, especially in light of the escalation of Israeli plans supported by the current government led by the far-right movement headed by Bezalel Smotrich.
Al-Shoubaki points out that the plans adopted by the current Israeli government are not a recent development, but rather their roots go back to old visions aimed at controlling the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. These plans are currently finding unprecedented political support, as evidenced by policies aimed at reducing the Palestinian presence and confining it to the narrowest possible geographical area, which limits the possibility of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967.
He points out that the Israeli occupation is not satisfied with controlling Area C, but is gradually seeking to extend its influence over Area B and even Area A, which are supposed to be under full Palestinian control.
Al-Shoubaki explains that one of the most prominent indicators of this is the Israeli police issuing traffic tickets to Palestinians a few days ago inside Area A, a step that is not only a violation of Palestinian sovereignty, but represents the establishment of a new phase of complete Israeli control over the West Bank.
Al-Shoubaki believes that the Israeli occupation is exploiting the state of Palestinian division and internal fragmentation to advance its plans, pointing out that the absence of national unity weakens the Palestinians’ ability to confront this great challenge, stressing the necessity of achieving a national consensus that is consistent with the capabilities of Palestinian society and puts an end to the divisive options that hinder the Palestinian national project.
Regarding the occupation's efforts to bring a million new settlers to the West Bank, Al-Shoubaki explains that this step aims to create a Jewish majority in the region, which directly threatens the Palestinian cause, as imposing new facts on the ground makes the establishment of an independent Palestinian state impossible.
Al-Shoubaki stresses that these policies do not only target the physical existence of Palestinians, but also seek to withdraw legitimacy from official Palestinian institutions and transform the Authority into an administrative entity with limited powers, which undermines any political role it has.
He explains that the current Israeli government believes in accelerating the conflict with the Palestinians in order to resolve it in favor of right-wing Zionist theses.
Al-Shoubaki points out that the settler army that is being formed now is not just random groups, but rather an organized force that receives political and military training and support with the aim of tearing apart the West Bank.
Al-Shoubaki believes that the current Israeli escalation is not just a reaction, but rather a strategic choice adopted by the occupation leaders, headed by Smotrich, who believe that the current time is the most appropriate to resolve the conflict completely.
Al-Shoubaki stresses that this escalation represents a dangerous stage in the Zionist project, especially in light of the absence of the necessary Palestinian readiness to confront these plans.
Al-Shoubaki stresses the importance of international action to confront this challenge, as friendly countries that support stability in the region must move to impose sanctions on the occupation and hold it accountable for its repeated violations.
Al-Shoubaki warns that the continuation of these plans without effective confrontation will lead to the end of the Palestinian national project that the PLO has adopted for decades.
Escalation based on several basic factors
Abdullah Abu Rahma, Director General of the Popular Action Department in the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, confirms that the settler army in the West Bank is witnessing an increase in its strength and aggression, thanks to the unlimited Israeli government support.
Abu Rahma explains that this escalation is based on several basic factors, including legal support through Knesset legislation that provides full legal cover for the aggressive practices of the settlers, in addition to the huge financial support allocated to expanding settlement activity and establishing settlement outposts.
Abu Rahma points to the dropping of administrative detention orders against settlers accused of criminal acts, which allows them to maintain the right to remain silent during investigation, and forces the police to release them even when there is evidence against them. This policy encourages settlers to continue their violations, in the absence of any legal or security deterrent.
Abu Rahma believes that this government support also includes the establishment of religious institutes and military training centers for settlers, which makes them organized groups trained to carry out systematic attacks against Palestinians.
Abu Rahma confirms that these groups move according to well-thought-out plans that include advance planning and precise preparation before carrying out any attack on Palestinian villages.
Abu Rahma says: “When any Palestinian defends himself against a settler’s attack, we find an immediate response from other settlers to support him, in a scene that reflects precise organization and an effort to impose control over Palestinian land by force.”
He stresses that confronting this escalation requires unifying Palestinian efforts and leaving differences aside, as the Palestinian farmer or local community cannot confront these plans supported by international powers alone, as the United States and other countries provide financial and political support that contributes to strengthening settlements.
Abu Rahma stresses the need to form popular committees for guarding and protection in the targeted villages and areas, with the participation of all Palestinian factions and local institutions, provided that these committees are supported by clear plans and strategies to confront the settlers effectively.
Abu Rahma stresses that the international community bears a great responsibility in confronting these settlement plans, pointing out that the crimes committed by the settlement militias violate international laws, which requires international organizations and human rights institutions to pressure governments that support Israel to stop this escalation, in addition to imposing international sanctions and withdrawing investments from companies that support settlements, and holding the Israeli government that directly sponsors these activities accountable.
Abu Rahma explains that Israeli calls to bring a million new settlers to the West Bank represent a serious threat to the Palestinian existence.
Abu Rahma stresses that these calls are not just statements, but rather come within long-term Israeli plans aimed at strengthening the Jewish population majority in the West Bank and controlling the land, including Areas C and B.
Abu Rahma says: “These plans threaten the possibility of establishing a future Palestinian state and establish an occupation reality that aims to displace Palestinians or turn them into a minority living under the control of settlers.”
Regarding the future of the West Bank in light of these settlement plans and the escalation of settlers, Abu Rahma warns that their success means implementing the “decisive plan” proposed by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in 2017.
Abu Rahma points out that this plan aims to impose harsh choices on the Palestinians: either accept living as servants under the rule of the settlers, or face forced displacement, or face genocide.
He says: “If we surrender to these plans, the future in the West Bank will be very dark. We must work 24 hours a day, and move at all levels, local, regional and international, to stop and confront these plans.
This is a collective responsibility that requires everyone, whether individuals, institutions or factions, to rise to the challenge, which requires greater organization of Palestinian efforts. The current stage is one of protecting the land and thwarting settlement plans.
Abu Rahma added: “We must direct all our capabilities to support the steadfastness of the citizens in the targeted areas, and coordinate with international institutions to impose real sanctions on the Israeli occupation. This is the only way to confront this uncertain future that threatens our existence.”
Creating an impossible living environment to push Palestinians to leave
Journalist Nabhan Khreisha points out that the aggression of settlers in the West Bank is increasing in an unprecedented manner, with direct support from the occupation army and various Israeli institutions.
Khreisha explains that the occupation army has recruited about 5,500 settlers, many of whom participate in attacks on Palestinians, in addition to distributing more than 10,000 weapons to the so-called civilian security teams or regional defense battalions that were established in the settlements. The Ministry of National Security, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, has also contributed to distributing thousands of weapons, which strengthens the formation of armed settler militias that operate in coordination and with the full support of the Israeli military establishment.
According to Khreisha, the settler militias operate according to an Israeli vision aimed at re-engineering Palestinian society, as they seek to create an impossible living environment that pushes Palestinians towards surrender or departure.
Khreisha asserts that this is done by escalating settler attacks on Palestinians in areas classified as “C” and “B,” while the occupation army is destroying Palestinian camps in the West Bank through intensive military operations to create a repellent environment.
The ultimate goal of this policy is believed to be the annexation of the West Bank or large parts of it to Israel, which has been explicitly declared by Israeli ministers such as Bezalel Smotrich.
Khreisha believes that the Palestinians are capable of thwarting the settlers’ goals, or at least limiting their impact, by adopting multi-level strategies, the most important of which is strengthening steadfastness on the land and adhering to it at any cost.
Khreisha stresses the need for the Palestinian Authority to provide material and moral support to those affected by these attacks, as well as to continue exposing Israeli settlement policies at the international level.
Khreisha stresses the importance of submitting periodic reports to international organizations on the violations committed by settlers and the occupation, to gain more international support against these practices.
Khreisha refers to a report issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which indicates that settlers launched 1,084 attacks in various parts of the West Bank last year, resulting in deaths and injuries in 107 of them, in addition to 859 attacks that caused damage to Palestinian property.
Khreisha stresses that the settlers’ attacks are not individual acts, but rather come within the context of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at ethnic cleansing and expanding settlements, which makes them part of a larger plan to consolidate the occupation.
Khreisha explains that the occupation seized 40,000 dunams of West Bank land in 2024, with the aim of linking settlements together, expanding their borders, or legitimizing existing settlement outposts. These activities come within Smotrich’s vision, which aims to raise the number of settlers in the West Bank to one million by 2030, which is what the coalition agreements of the current Israeli government stipulated, considering settlement an inalienable right of the Jews.
Khreisha believes that settlements represent the greatest challenge facing the Palestinian people, as settlers control about 40% of the West Bank lands, and the percentage rises to 68% in Area C, which includes most of the Palestinian natural resources such as water, forests and agricultural lands.
Khreisha points out that the number of settlers has now exceeded 700,000, compared to about 3.5 million Palestinians, which means that there is one Israeli settler for every five Palestinians, and Israel is seeking to adjust this ratio so that there is one settler for every three Palestinians, through its project to bring in a million new settlers.
Khreisha asserts that the future of the West Bank does not bode well in light of the current settlement escalation, but any surrender to this reality will lead to the elimination of the chances of establishing a Palestinian state, and will turn the West Bank into small, isolated pockets subject to the control of the occupation.
Khreisha calls for escalating Palestinian efforts at all levels to confront this existential challenge that threatens the Palestinian people and their national entity.
An existential threat...and a flagrant violation of international law
Professor Jamal Harfoush, Professor of Scientific Research Methods and Political Studies at the University of the Academic Research Center in Brazil, asserts that the escalation of settler aggression in the West Bank represents an existential threat to the Palestinians, and a flagrant violation of international law, which considers settlements illegal.
Harfoush explains that this aggression is not just individual attacks, but part of an Israeli strategy aimed at changing the demographic and geographical reality of the West Bank, which undermines any chance of establishing a future Palestinian state.
Harfoush explains that the occupation's calls to bring a million new settlers to the West Bank come as part of a strategic plan aimed at imposing new facts on the ground.
According to Harfoush, this plan carries dangerous dimensions that include ending the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state, as increasing the number of settlers means confiscating more land and connecting the settlements to infrastructure networks that make Palestinian control over their lands impossible.
Harfoush asserts that this plan seeks to obliterate the Palestinian identity, as the occupation seeks to change the historical and geographical character of the West Bank, which threatens the Palestinian cultural heritage.
Harfoush points out that the plan reinforces the idea of creating a complex security reality through the presence of a large number of armed settlers, which reinforces a hostile environment full of violence, as the settlers become a military force that imposes its control over the land.
Harfoush points out that the complicity of major countries, especially the United States, through political, economic and military support, enhances the implementation of this plan and further complicates the situation.
Harfoush believes that confronting this challenge requires adopting multi-level steps that include documenting all settler attacks and referring them to international courts, such as the International Criminal Court, as war crimes, and holding the occupation leaders legally accountable to deter them from violating the rights of the Palestinians.
Harfoush stresses the importance of strengthening diplomatic efforts in international forums to impose sanctions on the occupation due to its support and arming of settlers, and building alliances with countries that support Palestinian rights to create a balance in international positions.
Harfoush calls for the formation of popular protection committees in rural areas threatened by settlement, trained to protect residents and property, as well as the need to seek to support the steadfastness of the Palestinians by providing economic and social assistance to enhance their survival on their lands.
Harfoush stresses the need to work on exposing the crimes of the settlers through the media before world public opinion to shed light on their violations and create a wave of international pressure.
Harfoush calls for working to enhance the defensive capabilities of the Palestinian security services in accordance with international law to ensure the protection of citizens and property.
He points to three main scenarios for the future of the West Bank: either complete annexation, as if Israel continues with its plans without firm Palestinian or international responses, the reality in the West Bank may turn into a complete apartheid system, where the West Bank is divided into small pockets subject to the control of the occupation.
The second scenario, according to Harfoush, is resistance and steadfastness, as the Palestinians have proven their ability to endure throughout history, and popular and field resistance can impose a new equation that stops settlement expansion.
The third scenario is international intervention, as if the international community moves seriously and imposes sanctions on the occupation, the size of the settlements can be reduced and the identity of the West Bank can be preserved as part of the desired Palestinian state.
Harfoush stresses that the solution lies in strengthening national unity and ending the division, stressing the need to launch a comprehensive popular campaign to preserve the land and resist settlement.
Harfoush stresses that peaceful popular resistance, along with international movements, can put an end to settlement expansion and re-impose the Palestinian issue on the international community’s agenda.
Thoughtful and integrated policies to protect villages and enhance resilience
Writer and expert on Israeli affairs, Muhammad Abu Allan Daraghmeh, asserts that the presence of settlers on Palestinian lands in itself is considered aggression, even before they carry out physical attacks and systematic sabotage.
Draghmeh points out that the settlers do not move alone, but rather enjoy direct protection from the Israeli occupation army, which supports them and provides them with support during their storming of villages and committing attacks.
Draghmeh stresses that confronting this security and military challenge requires well-thought-out and integrated Palestinian policies that aim to protect Palestinian villages and enhance the steadfastness of their residents, especially in Area C, which is a central target for settlement plans.
Draghmeh points out that the ongoing attacks are no longer limited to Area C, but have also extended to Area B, as part of broader plans to control the West Bank and impose new facts on the ground, which aim to prevent any future political solutions.
Draghmeh explains that talking about confronting the settlers separately is not enough, but rather it must be part of a comprehensive national plan, the essence of which is to strengthen the steadfastness of the population in the targeted areas, especially in the Jordan Valley and Area C, calling for providing the necessary support to expand construction and development in these areas, despite the obstacles placed by the occupation.
Draghmeh stresses the importance of shedding media light on these issues, whether locally or internationally, with the aim of exposing Israeli practices to the world.
He stressed that settlement attacks increased significantly after October 7, which requires urgent action to confront them on all levels.
Draghmeh points out that the occupation's plans to bring a million new settlers to the West Bank aim to impose new facts that make it impossible to establish an independent Palestinian state.
Draghmeh explains that this policy is also based on dismembering the West Bank and preventing the separation of settlements from villages, which leads to the elimination of the idea of a two-state solution that some international parties such as the United States and some European countries are talking about.
Draghmeh believes that the lands classified as “C” are a primary target for these plans, as they represent the least densely populated and geographically largest areas in the West Bank, and with the increase and expansion of settlements, the two-state solution becomes practically inapplicable on the ground.
Draghmeh highlights the seriousness of Smotrich’s statements, in which he explained that his central mission is to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River, and to work to build a greater state of Israel, stressing that these statements reflect the essence of current Israeli policy, which aims to end any political horizon for the Palestinians, and strip them of their right to establish an independent state.
Draghmeh stresses that the presence of settlers in the West Bank constitutes a major obstacle to any Palestinian future, saying: “The settlers do not want any Palestinians in these areas, and the Israeli position is clear that no settlement or settler will be evacuated from the West Bank, which means that it is not possible to talk about a future for the West Bank in the presence of settlers.”
