Naomi Kahn pointing out Palestinian construction near the settlement of Gush Etzion (Tom Mutch)
SOUTH HEBRON HILLS, West Bank—Israel’s settlers—many of whom want to take over Palestinians’ land and demolish their homes—have been blamed for a surge in violence and accused of undermining the prospect of a two-state solution.
Extremist settlers were recently hit with travel restrictions by the U.S. and Britain, and the U.S. is holding up weapons shipments to Israel while it waits for assurances that assault rifles won’t end up in the hands of the settlers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally allowed new settlements to be built from 2017, and his latest coalition government includes radical pro-settler politicians pushing for greater expansion to evict even more Palestinians. Settler groups have been condemned by the United Nations, the U.S. State Department, and liberal Israelis among others.
And yet, they have been emboldened by the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, according to the United Nations, which says there has been a surge in violence carried out by the settlers since the assault which killed 1,200.