Israel's West Bank problem: The settlement enterprise, not just settler violence

A growing sentiment in Israel suggests a shift in public perception regarding "settler violence," with increasing numbers of Israelis expressing disturbance over the actions of settlers who provoke conflict and involve Israeli soldiers. While this change is encouraging, the author argues it contains a fundamental paradox: the focus on individual acts of violence by settlers overlooks the more pervasive and consequential issue of the "settlement enterprise" itself.

The very existence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank constitutes a form of structural violence against Palestinians, a reality that faces virtually no opposition within Israel's Jewish public. This phenomenon, termed "settlerism," is presented as the dominant political ideology in Israel today. Every major Jewish political party, directly or indirectly, supports the continued settlement of the West Bank. Even left-wing parties, while mentioning the need to combat "settler terrorism," stop short of challenging the core premise of maintaining settlements in occupied territory. Consequently, nearly all Jewish Israelis vote for parties that support the expansion, funding, and political legitimacy of the settlement enterprise.

Settlerism is not confined to the ballot box; it is reflected in countless everyday choices that sustain the settlement project. These include purchasing products from settlements, attending events held in occupied territory, studying at settlement universities like Ariel University, or participating in mandatory military service in an army that governs millions of Palestinians. The author emphasizes that there is one basic fact most Israelis prefer to ignore: there is no settlement without violence. This applies not only to notorious outposts or extremist communities but also to settlements considered part of Israel's political mainstream, such as Ofra, Efrat, and Ma'aleh Adumim.

The re-establishment of the settlement of Sa-Nur in the northern West Bank serves as an illustration of how settlements impact the lives of nearby Palestinians. In May 2025, Israel’s security cabinet approved the reconstruction of Sa-Nur, which had been evacuated during the 2005 disengagement. This decision, like the continued existence and expansion of other settlements, inherently involves a form of violence against the Palestinian population by displacing them, restricting their movement, and undermining their access to resources and land. The article implicitly argues that addressing settler violence requires confronting the foundational ideology and practice of the settlement enterprise itself.