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Last week, amid a combined speech by American leader Donald Trump and Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israeli parliament, colleague lawmaker Ayman Odeh and I raised a banner calling for the acknowledgment of the Palestinian state. We were forcibly removed from the legislative assembly, revealing the fragile state of what's often described as the "sole democratic state in the region". How can leaders talk about Middle East peace while refusing to recognize a population denied of fundamental liberties and rights under decades-long military control?

The Reality in the West Bank

Nowhere is the deceit more apparent than in the occupied West Bank. There, talk of peace seem distant and weak, while the terrifying echoes of settler violence and intimidation persist strongly. Over 30 incidents of settler aggression against Palestinian civilians have been recorded since the unveiling of the US 20-point plan in late September, including physical assaults, theft of agricultural produce, and torching of cars and belongings.

Targeted Violence During Agricultural Period

The increase in settler terrorism is not coincidental. This time marks the beginning of agricultural harvesting. More than a crucial economic activity, it represents an significant social and national occasion that shows endurance under military rule. Precisely for these reasons, year after year settlers target Palestinian farmers throughout this precious time. During the 2024 harvest period, human rights organizations documented 113 distinct cases of violence, intimidation, harvest-thwarting, or damage to olive groves and crops involving Israeli civilians and soldiers, which occurred on territories belonging to 51 Palestinian communities, towns, and areas.

Israel's security forces appeared to have had a larger role in obstructing the harvesting season

The human rights group also found that "Israel's military appeared to have had a larger part in hindering the harvesting season". In about 70% of instances where access to lands was forcibly blocked, troops, border police officers, and settler civilian security coordinators were physically on site. They either personally prevented Palestinian farmers from reaching and harvesting their property, or failed to stop colonists who threatened or assaulted them.

Government Support for Colonization

This is no surprise, as the leader of the colonists' political movement, Bezalel Smotrich, was appointed as an additional minister in the Defense Ministry in charge of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. In one village, for instance, a special military coordination team removed personally-owned olive plants of Palestinians, citing lack of permits, but ignored violations by an unauthorized adjacent settler outpost. Last week, the Jerusalem district court ruled to halt all construction in the outpost, which was constructed on lands seized by Israel and illegally transferred to settlers.

Takeover Ambitions and Global Reaction

In the occupied West Bank, colonist violence is nothing but a tool used by the government to achieve de-facto incorporation. Earlier this month, Smotrich led a procession of thousands of colonists in favor of taking over the West Bank. He was reported as stating, "We persist to take hold with our presence of the territory with numerous settlers, numerous champions, and hundreds of thousands of settlers who reside in this part of the land ... we must to normalize it and establish it permanently."

The settlers and their supporters in the parliament are clear about their intentions and intentions. Why, then, do political leaders in the Western nations hesitate from meaningful sanctions and political actions? Smotrich was sanctioned by the UK in the summer, but the impact of the sanction has been minimal. He may not be permitted to go to the United Kingdom and visit the West End, but he still maintains the ministerial power to take lands in the West Bank. Even in the declaration of penalties, the UK highlighted they take place "personally" only.

Global Acknowledgment and Reality

If the British administration recognizes the reality of settler violence and its grave consequences on Palestinian existence, why does it still allow goods from settlements to be marketed in stores and outlets in Britain? If Starmer is serious about recognition of Palestine as a sovereign entity, how can he allow the Israeli government to violate its independence with such aggressive methods? Or was the recognition an hollow ploy to silence dissenting voices in the United Kingdom, a hollow gesture only to be implemented in the rebranding of some cartographic representations?

Route Toward Genuine Resolution

A fair resolution must honor the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people for self-recognition, sovereignty, and freedom from occupation and blockade. Only when each person's worth between the Jordan River and sea is respected can we truly say peace has been attained.

True resolution demands an sovereign Palestinian state next to Israel: this is the only formula that has agreement among the international community, the Palestinian leadership, and the Israeli peace camp.

The former US president may have inflicted pressure on the Israeli leader to stop the genocide, but he likely only did so because the strain of his connection with the isolated government of Netanyahu had become excessive. The large demonstrations across the world for the freedom of Palestine, and the persistent anti-government protests within Israel, are the actual forces behind this pressure.

It is thanks to this massive civil movement that a ceasefire has been agreed, the captives freed, and the residents of the territory can enjoy protection from annihilation. After the truce arrangement has been finalized, it is vital to keep maintaining this pressure. The international community has ignored to the violence in the strip for many years; it must not repeat the same mistake in the West Bank.