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Last Monday, during a combined address by American leader Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, fellow lawmaker Ayman Odeh and I displayed a sign urging the acknowledgment of the Palestinian state. We were violently removed from the parliamentary session, exposing the weak state of what's often portrayed as the "only democracy in the region". How can leaders talk about regional peace while declining to acknowledge a population denied of fundamental freedoms and entitlements under long-standing military control?

The Reality in the West Bank

In no place is the deceit more apparent than in the occupied West Bank. There, words of reconciliation sound remote and faint, while the terrifying sounds of colonist attacks and terror persist strongly. Over 30 incidents of settler aggression against Palestinians have been documented since the unveiling of the US 20-point plan in late September, including physical assaults, stealing of agricultural produce, and torching of vehicles and belongings.

Systematic Violence During Agricultural Period

The increase in violence by colonists is not coincidental. This time marks the beginning of agricultural harvesting. More than a vital economic event, it constitutes an significant social and cultural moment that shows endurance under military rule. Precisely for these reasons, annually colonists target Palestinians during this precious time. During the 2024 harvest season, human rights organizations recorded 113 distinct cases of aggression, harassment, preventing harvesting, or destruction to olive groves and crops involving settlers and soldiers, which occurred on territories belonging to 51 Palestinian communities, towns, and communities.

Israel's security forces seemed to have had a greater role in hindering the harvesting season

The human rights group also discovered that "Israeli security forces appeared to have played a greater part in obstructing the olive harvest". In approximately 70% of cases where entry to lands was forcibly prevented, soldiers, border guards, and settlement civilian security coordinators were actually present. They either personally stopped Palestinians from accessing and harvesting their property, or failed to stop colonists who threatened or attacked them.

Political Backing for Settler Activities

This is no shock, as the leader of the colonists' political movement, Bezalel Smotrich, was appointed as an additional minister in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the territorial coordination unit. In one village, for instance, a particular COGAT unit uprooted private olive plants of Palestinians, citing missing documentation, but overlooked infractions by an illegal nearby settler outpost. Last week, the local court ruled to halt all construction in the outpost, which was built on property taken by Israel and illegally given to settlers.

Takeover Ambitions and Global Reaction

In the controlled West Bank, settler terrorism is simply a instrument used by the government to pursue de-facto annexation. Recently, Smotrich headed a procession of many of settlers in favor of annexation the West Bank. He was quoted as saying, "We persist to establish presence with our presence of the Land of Israel with numerous settlers, many champions, and countless of colonists who live in this part of the territory ... we need to normalize it and establish it permanently."

The settlers and their supporters in the Knesset are clear about their intentions and goals. Why, then, do political leaders in the Western nations refrain from meaningful sanctions and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was penalized by the UK in June, but the effect of the penalty has been minimal. He may not be permitted to go to the UK and tour the London's entertainment district, but he still enjoys the governmental authority to seize lands in the West Bank. Even in the declaration of sanctions, the British government highlighted they apply "in his personal capacity" solely.

International Recognition and Actual Situation

If the British administration recognizes the reality of colonist aggression and its grave implications on Palestinian existence, why does it still allow settlement produce to be sold in markets and shops in the UK? If Starmer is genuine about acknowledging Palestinian statehood as a sovereign entity, how come he allow the Israeli administration to breach its sovereignty with such violent means? Or was the acknowledgment an empty ploy to shut down dissenting voices in the UK, a hollow act only to be implemented in the rebranding of some maps?

Pathway to True Resolution

A fair resolution must respect the basic entitlements of the Palestinian people for self-recognition, sovereignty, and liberty from occupation and siege. Only when each human being's worth between the Jordan River and sea is respected can we genuinely declare peace has been attained.

True peace demands an sovereign Palestinian nation next to the Israeli state: this is the sole solution that has agreement among the international community, the Palestinian national movement, and the Israeli peace camp.

The former US president may have inflicted pressure on Netanyahu to stop the violence, but he probably only did so because the strain of his relationship with the pariah regime of Netanyahu had become too great. The mass protests throughout the globe for the liberation of Palestinian territories, and the persistent anti-government demonstrations inside Israel, are the real forces behind this influence.

It is thanks to this enormous civil movement that a ceasefire has been signed, the hostages released, and the residents of the territory can enjoy protection from annihilation. Following the ceasefire agreement has been finalized, it is crucial to keep applying this pressure. The international community has turned a blind eye to the atrocities in Gaza for many years; it must not make the same error in the occupied territories.