Violence and Control in the West Bank: A Growing Crisis

Olive Harvest Season Marred by Violence

• October 10: Palestinians in Beita attacked while picking olives, 20 injured.
• October 19: 53-year-old woman beaten unconscious by a masked settler in Turmus Aya.
• October 25: 65-year-old man assaulted in front of his family in Nahalin.
• November 8: Harvesters in Beita attacked again, including two Reuters employees among the injured.

Record Number of Settler Attacks

• October 2023: 260+ incidents reported by the United Nations.
• Since October 7, 2023:
• 1,000+ Palestinians killed
• 3,000 displaced due to settler violence.
• 40,000 Palestinians displaced by Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank.
• Nearly 1,000 barriers and checkpoints erected, severely restricting Palestinian movement.

Israeli Government's Agenda

• Expanding control over the West Bank.
• Annexation plans by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition.
• Israeli media downplays violence, presenting it as an exception rather than policy.

Systematic Tightening of Control

• 25 years of increasing integration of the West Bank with Israel.
• Institutionalized control over land, resources, and people beyond the Green Line.
• Bezalel Smotrich, a key figure in Netanyahu's coalition, has:
• Approved thousands of housing units in settlements.
• Facilitated the expropriation of extensive territories.
• Pushed for construction in the E1 area, further dividing the West Bank.
• Made it nearly impossible for Palestinians to reclaim their land.

Call for Immediate Action

• International focus on the cease-fire in Gaza is crucial, but the West Bank must not be overlooked.
• Recognizing Palestinian statehood and reasserting the path to statehood are important steps.
• Policy opposing formal annexation but doing nothing to stop de facto annexation will only encourage Israel to continue its current practices.
• The situation in the West Bank is dire and requires immediate attention and action.