The increase in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank over the past year has been unprecedented. Since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack and the start of the war, there have been more than 1,000 attacks, according to a new report of the International Crisis Group.
The peak, which has international alarm raisedis often attributed to the permissive policies of Israel’s right-wing government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a UN investigationNearly half of all settler attacks documented in October 2023 were carried out in collaboration with, or in the presence of, Israeli forces.
I have studied Jewish violent extremism for more than 20 yearsI would argue that these developments are the result of long processes related 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 Israeli settlements in the West Bank has been the country’s most divisive debate. Yet the once-fringe settler movement has become arguably the most influential player in Israeli politics.
Ideological origins
Israel took over the West Bank, then ruled by Jordan, during the 1967 Six-Day War from its predominantly Arab neighbors.
Israel subsequently declared martial law in the region, but Jewish settlement in the occupied territory began immediately afterward. The first settlements were built illegally and were allowed to remain temporarily. Eventually, after the right-wing Likud party came to power in 1977, the settlements were legal status obtained and their numbers grew rapidly. However, most countries 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 seeks to combine commitment to a Jewish nation-state with religious orthodoxy. These Israelis see the rise of the Zionist movement, the creation of the state of Israel, and the subsequent military victories as stages in a holy redemptionwhich will end with the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of a Jewish kingdom.
Many believe that this process can be accelerated by restoring the Jewish presence in the West Bank, which is part of the Biblical kingdoms of Judea and Israel.
In 1989, settlers in the West Bank formed less than 2% of Israel’s total population. Today, they make up almost 6%despite the fact that the country’s population has doubled.
There are about 150 settlements scattered across the West Bank, in addition to unauthorized outposts – undermining the possibility of a viable Palestinian state with an undivided, continuous territory. As the government has intensified its efforts to promote settlements through various subsidies and infrastructure development, a growing number of Israelis have moved to the West Bank to improve their quality of life and for financial reasons instead of ideological.
Gaining influence
Settlers traditionally had limited representation in the Israeli parliament. But that changed thanks to a combination of different strategies.
Historically, the majority of the secular Israeli public has not been willing to support Israeli control of the West Bank for religious reasons. The position of the left is that settlements an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians and are morally problematic.
To gain support, the settler movement adopted a complementary narrative, focusing on the problems of their communities. contribution to national securityActivists expanded the role of the settlements as a buffer zone between the Palestinian population living under occupation and the main Israeli population centers. Today, almost half of Jewish Israelis believe that they contribute to strengthening national security.
In addition, the movement compared West Bank settlers become Zionist pioneers who arrived in Palestine in the early 20th century and founded modern Israel – although many of those original Zionists were staunch secularists. In this way, settlers legitimized their cause by portraying themselves as followers of Israel’s founders.
At the same time, the settlers gained power within influential Israeli institutions, including the army. Today, colonists hold prominent positions in the leadership of the armywhich may partly explain the often weak response to the illegal activities of colonists.
The political position of the colonists also rose as a result of their ability to gain positions within the governmentThey achieved this by employing sympathetic ministers, using party primaries to force appointments, and winning over existing office holders to their cause. As right-wing governments became more the norm, some settler leaders became cabinet members.
One example of this is Uri Ariel. After leading the Yesha Council – a forum of West Bank settlement mayors – Ariel became minister of construction, and minister of agriculture and rural development. resign in 2019He promoted the expansion of settlements and took initiatives specifically aimed at the Jewish population in the region, such as the construction of roads, tourist attractions and industry.
Legitimizing violence
In the past decade, a militant current has gained increasing popularity within the settler 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, give priority to religious and nationalistic values.
Moreover, its leaders have embraced it the followers of Kahanisma racist ideology promoted by Rabbi Meir Kahane in the 1970s and 1980s. Kahane proposed extreme policy measures to promote Jewish supremacy in Israel and the West Bank, such as calling for the expulsion of all Arabs from the country or banning marriage between Jews and Muslims.
Kahane’s followers too justified violence against Palestinianswho teaches that harming a Jew is a violation of God’s name and must be avenged.
Today, some settler leaders – including former and current MPs such as Michael Ben-Ari And Zvi Sukkot – have also promoted support for extreme policies to ensure Israel’s continued control and eventual annexation of the West Bank and Gaza. These include population transfer – a form of ethnic cleansing – as well as mass punishment of Palestinian communities.
Ultimate victory
After the 2022 elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu included extremist settler leaders in his cabinet, making it clear to many settlers that violent and illegal actions against Palestinians would be considered legitimate.
Moreover, the appointments have further politicized the government bureaucracy. The Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir – a former member of the Kahanist movement – has transformed the police forcewhere aggressive measures are applied against Palestinians And protesters opposing Netanyahu’s government.
Bezalel Smotrich, the political leader of the Hardali current of the settler movement, is now the finance minister. Smotrich has pushed for send more money to settlementsapprove extensions and legalizing unauthorized outposts.
Both ministers and their parties have put pressure on the government to step up the military campaign in GazaIn the meantime they have expanded restrictions on Palestinians in the West Banksuch as Restrictive permits to work and grow in Israel restrictions on movement – which shows how far Israel must go to restore its democratic ethos.
This article has been republished from The conversationa non-profit, independent news organization that brings you facts and reliable analysis to help you understand our complex world. It is written by: Arie Perliger, University of Massachusetts Lowell
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Arie Perliger receives funding from NIJ, DOD, and DHS to conduct research on domestic extremism and terrorism.