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Last week, amid a combined address by American leader Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israeli parliament, colleague lawmaker Ayman Odeh and I displayed a banner urging the acknowledgment of Palestine. We were forcibly removed from the legislative session, revealing the fragile condition of what's often portrayed as the "sole democratic state in the region". How can officials talk about regional peace while declining to acknowledge a population denied of basic liberties and rights under long-standing military control?

The Situation in the Occupied West Bank

Nowhere is the deceit more evident than in the controlled West Bank. There, talk of peace seem distant and faint, while the terrifying sounds of colonist attacks and intimidation continue strongly. Over 30 occurrences of violence by settlers against Palestinian civilians have been recorded since the unveiling of the Trump administration's 20-point plan in late September, including attacks, theft of agricultural produce, and burning of vehicles and property.

Systematic Violence During Agricultural Period

The rise in settler terrorism is not coincidental. This period marks the start of agricultural harvesting. Beyond a crucial economic event, it represents an important social and national occasion that demonstrates resilience under occupation. Precisely for these causes, annually settlers target Palestinians throughout this crucial time. During the 2024 harvest period, human rights organizations recorded 113 separate cases of violence, harassment, harvest-thwarting, or destruction to olive groves and produce by settlers and military personnel, which took place on territories belonging to 51 Palestinian-owned communities, municipalities, and communities.

Israel's security forces appeared to have played a greater role in hindering the harvesting season

Yesh Din also found that "Israel's security forces seemed to have had a larger part in hindering the harvesting season". In approximately 70% of instances where entry to farmland was forcibly blocked, soldiers, border guards, and settler security officials were physically on site. They either directly stopped Palestinian farmers from accessing and gathering their property, or failed to prevent settlers who harassed or attacked them.

Government Support for Settler Activities

This is no surprise, as the head of the settlers' political party, Bezalel Smotrich, was appointed as an additional minister in the Ministry of Defence responsible for the territorial coordination unit. In Umm al-Khair, for instance, a special military coordination team removed personally-owned olive plants of Palestinians, citing missing documentation, but overlooked violations by an unauthorized adjacent colonist encampment. Last week, the local court decided to halt all construction in the encampment, which was built on property taken by Israeli authorities and illegally transferred to settlers.

Takeover Goals and Global Reaction

In the occupied West Bank, settler terrorism is nothing but a instrument used by the administration to pursue de-facto incorporation. Earlier this month, Smotrich led a procession of many of settlers in favor of taking over the West Bank. He was quoted as stating, "We are continuing to take hold with our presence of the Land of Israel with many settlers, many champions, and hundreds of thousands of settlers who live in this area of the territory ... we must to normalise it and establish it permanently."

The colonists and their backers in the parliament are clear about their motives and intentions. Why, then, do political leaders in the west hesitate from substantial sanctions and political actions? Smotrich was sanctioned by the UK in June, but the impact of the sanction has been limited. He may not be able to travel to the UK and tour the West End, but he still maintains the governmental authority to seize lands in the West Bank. Even in the declaration of sanctions, the UK emphasized they apply "in his personal capacity" solely.

Global Acknowledgment and Actual Situation

If the UK government acknowledges the truth of colonist aggression and its grave implications on Palestinian life, why does it still permit goods from settlements to be marketed in markets and outlets in Britain? If the British leader is genuine about recognition of Palestine as a sovereign entity, how can he permit the Israeli government to violate its independence with such violent means? Or was the recognition an hollow ploy to silence dissenting voices in the United Kingdom, a meaningless act only to be implemented in the relabeling of some cartographic representations?

Pathway to Genuine Resolution

A fair peace must honor the fundamental entitlements of the Palestinian population for self-determination, independence, and freedom from occupation and blockade. Only when every human being's dignity between the river and Mediterranean Sea is respected can we truly say reconciliation has been achieved.

Genuine resolution requires an independent Palestinian nation next to the Israeli state: this is the only formula that has consensus among the international community, the Palestinian national movement, and the Israeli peace advocates.

The former US president may have applied pressure on Netanyahu to halt the violence, but he probably only did so because the burden of his connection with the pariah regime of the Israeli PM had become too great. The large demonstrations across the world for the liberation of Palestinian territories, and the unwavering opposition demonstrations within Israel, are the real forces behind this pressure.

It is thanks to this enormous public campaign that a ceasefire has been signed, the captives freed, and the people of the territory can enjoy safeguard from destruction. Following the truce arrangement has been signed, it is vital 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 mistake in the occupied territories.