Istanbul: From its inception in the late 19th century, the Zionist movement has promoted the idea that Palestine is 'a land without a people.' The ultimate objective is not only to legitimize a Jewish settler-colonial state in Palestine but also to erase the very idea of indigenous Palestinians. Without 'Western' permission and support to construct Jewish settlements and outposts on Palestinian land, Israel would not have been able to establish a 'colonial' state in 1948. The construction of these settlements has led to the displacement of indigenous Palestinian populations, establishing a direct link between the Zionist colonial project and the displacement of Palestinians.
According to Anadolu Agency, the displacement of Palestinians has been a cornerstone of Israeli colonial policy from the very beginning. The establishment of illegal Israeli settlements and outposts, coupled with violence and terror in the West Bank, are manifestations of this mindset. The reality in the West Bank indicates a pattern of integration between Israeli settler actions and Israeli army policy. Israeli settlers frequently attack Palestinians, destroy their herds, and damage their property. Often, these attacks are followed by punitive measures from the Israeli military against Palestinian communities, including shootings, arrests, and closures of cities.
Palestinians believe that settler terrorism is not an isolated phenomenon, but rather a state policy aimed at weakening their presence, confiscating lands, and facilitating the expansion of Israeli settlements. The West Bank holds strategic importance for Israel in terms of security, politics, and religion. Zionist religious and nationalist movements identify the region as 'Judea and Samaria,' essential to Israel and non-negotiable.
Since October 8, 2023, the situation in the West Bank has worsened, with more than 1,200 Palestinians killed, over 10,000 injured, and more than 30,000 detained. Israeli policy shifted from indirect control to imposing de facto sovereignty over Palestinian land, employing legal, political, military, economic, and cultural measures. Settler terrorism is systematic and operates alongside the Israeli military, with state backing providing legal and security immunity to settlers.
Full Israeli control over Palestinian life in the West Bank aims to isolate Palestinians from their land, driving them towards displacement or surrender to Israeli conditions. What is occurring in the West Bank is not merely settlement expansion but an organized settler-colonial project seeking to annex the land and displace its inhabitants.
The rise of Israeli extremist right-wing figures like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has escalated violence in the West Bank. The internal failures and social divisions within Israel, coupled with the aftermath of the Oct. 7 military failure, have led to increased settler and military terrorism against Palestinians. The pressure on Palestinians suggests the potential for a new intifada, as human rights violations continue without consequence. The situation indicates that the West Bank will not remain quiet indefinitely, and another eruption is only a matter of time.