West Bank settler violence and illegal farms are no surprise, veteran journalist warns - opinion

Attacks by extremist Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages in the West Bank, while outrageous, are not surprising and appear to be aligned with government policy, veteran journalist Mark Lavie writes. For much of the current Israeli government's term, extremist settlers have established "farms" near Palestinian villages. These farms often begin illegally but are later approved by the government. During this process, settlers spend more time burning fields and houses and harassing or killing Palestinians than cultivating crops, often facing no arrests.

This behavior, previously attributed to a small, violent group known as the "hilltop youth," has escalated. The existence of at least 100 to 240 such farms, coupled with settler attacks aimed at displacing Palestinians, indicates a larger problem. These actions are designed to "encourage" Palestinians to leave their land, and the settlers "get away with it," suggesting tacit government approval.

Israeli soldiers stand in front of an Israeli settler who entered onto the property of Palestinian-American Loui Ridi, in Kusra, August 18, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)

More than half a million Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967. While most settlers are described as peaceful citizens living in suburban-style settlements near the old ceasefire line, problematic settlements are located in the interior. Here, families have lived in relative isolation for 50 years.

A study conducted about 25 years ago indicated that residents of isolated settlements grew increasingly extreme in their religious outlook, believing the West Bank is exclusively Jewish property. This belief, Lavie argues, leads directly to attacks by fanatics against Palestinians. The process has continued and intensified over the decades, with a small number of settlers turning to violence.