We are at war: How settler extremists are attacking Palestinians and Israeli democracy

A war is currently unfolding in Israel, though it's not the one dominating international headlines. This conflict is a one-sided assault, openly carried out by right-wing extremists and their violent settler proxies against Palestinians in the West Bank. The immediate victims are Palestinians, whose homes, fields, olive trees, livestock, villages, and daily lives are under relentless attack. Families are being driven from their land, shepherds from grazing areas, and farmers prevented from reaching their fields, all while entire communities live under constant threat.

“

The Palestinians are the victims, but the target is liberal democratic Israel.

However, the implications extend far beyond the Palestinian population. Israelis must confront a more profound and alarming reality: while Palestinians are the direct victims, the ultimate target of this campaign is liberal democratic Israel itself. This is a war against the very foundations of the state, its rule of law, principles of equality, human dignity, the authority of its courts, the integrity of the army as a state institution, and the fundamental idea that the state should serve all its citizens, not a singular messianic cause.

These right-wing extremists and their violent settler agents reject the vision of Israel promised in its Declaration of Independence, a state built on freedom, justice, peace, and equality. Instead, they aspire to establish a messianic, religious kingdom. Their ambition is for sovereignty without democracy, a form of Judaism devoid of morality, unchecked power, and territorial expansion that disregards Palestinian existence. Their ultimate religious project, as outlined in plans published years ago by figures like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, involves altering the status quo on the Temple Mount by destroying the mosques and rebuilding the Temple.

“

They want sovereignty without democracy, Judaism without morality, power without restraint, and land without Palestinians.

This is why settler violence cannot be dismissed as mere "hilltop youth" misbehavior or the actions of a few rogue individuals. It is the street-level manifestation of an ideology that has infiltrated key state institutions, including the government, the army, and the Shin Bet security agency, with ambitions to penetrate the judicial system. This movement is strategic, systematic, and advancing according to a clear plan, wielding significant control over crucial levers of state power. Their goal is to supplant democratic Israel with a religious-nationalist regime where Jewish supremacy is enshrined in law, Palestinian presence is viewed as an obstacle to be removed, and liberal Israelis are branded as traitors or anarchists.

“

This is why settler violence is not a side issue. It is not “hilltop youth” misbehavior. It is not the work of a few wild boys or a handful of rogue ranchers. It is not marginal.