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The Conversation U.S.
How the Israeli settlers movement shaped modern Israel
By Arie Perliger, UMass Lowell,
9 days ago
(LOWELL, MASS.) The increase in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank over the past year has been unprecedented. Since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack and the start of the war, there have been more than 1,000 attacks, according to a new report from the International Crisis Group.
The spike, which has raised international alarm , is often blamed on the permissive policies of Israel’s right-wing government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a U.N. investigation , nearly half of all settler attacks documented in October 2023 were conducted in collaboration with, or in the presence of, Israeli military forces.
I have studied Jewish violent extremism for more than 20 years . I would argue these developments result from long processes tied to the erosion of Israel’s democratic foundations – that the seeds were planted long before Netanyahu came to power.
Since the late 1970s, the future of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank has been the country’s most divisive debate. Yet the once-fringe settler movement has arguably become the most influential actor in Israeli politics.
Ideological origins
Israel took over the West Bank, then ruled by Jordan, during the 1967 Six-Day War against its Arab-majority neighboring countries.
Afterward, Israel imposed martial law in the region, yet Jewish settlement in the occupied area began immediately afterward. The first settlements were erected illegally and were allowed to stay on a temporary basis. Eventually, after the right-wing Likud party came to power in 1977, the settlements gained legal status and their number expanded rapidly. Most countries, however, consider them a violation of international law.
The first groups of settlers, and still the majority of them, are part of the larger religious Zionist movement, which aspires to combine dedication to a Jewish nation-state with religious orthodoxy. These Israelis consider the emergence of the Zionist movement, the establishment of the state of Israel and its subsequent military victories as phases in a holy redemption , which will end with the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of a Jewish kingdom.
Many believe this process can be expedited by restoring a Jewish presence in the West Bank, which is part of the biblical kingdoms of Judea and Israel .
Settlers traditionally had limited representation in Israel’s Parliament. But that changed, thanks to a combination of several strategies.
Historically, the majority of the secular Israeli public was not willing to support Israel’s control over the West Bank for religious reasons. The left’s position is that settlements are an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians and are morally problematic.
In order to build support, the settlers movement adopted a complementary narrative, focusing on their communities’ contribution to national security . Activists magnified the settlements’ role as a buffer zone between the Palestinian population living under occupation and the main Israeli population centers. Today, nearly half of Jewish Israelis believe they help strengthen national security.
In addition, the movement likened West Bank settlers to the Zionist pioneers who arrived in Palestine at the turn of the 20th century and founded modern Israel – although many of those original Zionists were staunchly secular. Thus, settlers legitimized their cause by portraying themselves as followers of Israel’s founding fathers.
Settlers’ political standing also rose as a result of their ability to gain positions within the government . They achieved this with the help of sympathetic ministers, by using party primaries to extract appointments and by winning existing officeholders to their cause. As right-wing governments became more the norm, some settler leaders became cabinet members .
A case in point is Uri Ariel. After leading the Yesha Council – a forum of mayors of West Bank settlements – Ariel became minister of construction, as well as minister of agriculture and rural development. Before stepping down in 2019 , he promoted the expansion of settlements, as well as initiatives to specifically serve the Jewish population in the region, such as roads, tourist sites and industry.
Legitimizing violence
In the past decade, a militant stream gained increasing popularity within the settlers movement.
Known as “ Hardalim ” – a combination of the words “ultra-Orthodox” and “nationalist” in Hebrew – this group adopts a more Orthodox religious lifestyle. Adherents are less committed to Israel’s liberal and democratic traditions, prioritizing religious and nationalist values .
Furthermore, its leaders have embraced the followers of Kahanism , a racist ideology promoted by Rabbi Meir Kahane in the 1970s and ‘80s. Kahane proposed extreme policies to promote Jewish supremacy in Israel and the West Bank, such as calls to expel all Arabs from the country or prohibit marriage between Jews and Muslims.
Following 2022 elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu included extremist settler leaders in his cabinet, which signaled to many settlers that violent and illegal acts against Palestinians would be considered legitimate .
This article is republished from The Conversation , a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Arie Perliger , UMass Lowell
So when they do the two state solution, the Slav colonizers will lose like half of their occupied territory, right?
Timothy Leary
7d ago
The Israelis have signed treaty after treaty saying that they would stop building settlements, and every time they do, they build more. They coordinate attacks on farmers and unarmed families to take more land. The Israelis haven't followed a single treaty they signed with the Palestinians, killing and displacing millions to take their land and homes.
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