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Last Monday, amid a combined address by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, colleague parliamentarian Ayman Odeh and I displayed a sign urging the recognition of the Palestinian state. We were forcibly removed from the parliamentary session, exposing the fragile state of what's often portrayed as the "only democratic state in the region". How can leaders speak about Middle East peace while refusing to recognize a people denied of fundamental liberties and entitlements under long-standing military control?

The Reality in the West Bank

In no place is the hypocrisy more evident than in the controlled West Bank. There, talk of reconciliation seem remote and weak, while the frightening echoes of colonist attacks and terror continue strongly. Over 30 occurrences of settler aggression against Palestinians have been documented since the unveiling of the US 20-point plan in late September, featuring physical assaults, stealing of crops, and torching of vehicles and belongings.

Targeted Violence During Harvest Season

The rise in settler terrorism is not coincidental. This period marks the start of harvest seasons. Beyond a vital economic activity, it represents an significant social and cultural moment that demonstrates resilience under occupation. Precisely for these reasons, year after year settlers attack Palestinians throughout this crucial time. During the 2024 harvest season, rights groups documented 113 distinct cases of aggression, harassment, harvest-thwarting, or destruction to olive groves and crops involving Israeli civilians and military personnel, which took place on lands belonging to 51 Palestinian-owned villages, municipalities, and areas.

Israeli military appeared to have played a larger role in obstructing the olive harvest

The human rights group also discovered that "Israeli military seemed to have played a greater role in obstructing the olive harvest". In approximately 70% of instances where entry to lands was forcibly blocked, troops, border police officers, and settler civilian security coordinators were physically on site. They either personally prevented Palestinians from reaching and gathering their property, or failed to prevent settlers who harassed or assaulted them.

Political Support for Colonization

This comes as no surprise, as the head of the settlers' political party, Bezalel Smotrich, was named as an additional minister in the Defense Ministry in charge of the territorial coordination unit. In Umm al-Khair, for instance, a particular COGAT unit uprooted private olive plants of Palestinians, citing lack of permits, but ignored infractions by an unauthorized nearby colonist encampment. Last week, the local court ruled to stop all building work in the outpost, which was constructed on property taken by Israeli authorities and unlawfully transferred to colonists.

Takeover Ambitions and International Response

In the controlled West Bank, settler terrorism is simply a tool used by the government to pursue practical annexation. Earlier this month, Smotrich headed a march of many of colonists in favor of annexation the West Bank. He was reported as stating, "We persist to establish presence with our feet of the Land of Israel with many pioneers, many heroes, and countless of colonists who live in this area of the territory ... we must to normalize it and make it eternal."

The colonists and their supporters in the Knesset are explicit about their motives and goals. Why, then, do political leaders in the west refrain from meaningful penalties and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in the summer, but the impact of the penalty has been minimal. He may not be permitted to go to the UK and visit the London's entertainment district, but he still enjoys the governmental authority to take lands in the West Bank. Remarkably in the announcement of penalties, the British government highlighted they take place "in his personal capacity" only.

Global Acknowledgment and Actual Situation

If the UK government recognizes the reality of colonist aggression and its grave implications on Palestinian existence, why does it still permit settlement produce to be sold in markets and shops in Britain? If the British leader is serious 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 empty tactic to shut down dissenting voices in the United Kingdom, a hollow gesture only to be realised in the rebranding of some cartographic representations?

Route Toward True Peace

A just peace must honor the basic rights of the Palestinian population for self-recognition, sovereignty, and freedom from occupation and siege. Only when every human being's dignity across the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea is honored can we truly say peace has been attained.

Genuine peace demands an sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel: this is the sole formula that has agreement among the global community, the Palestinian national movement, and the Israeli peace advocates.

The former US president may have applied pressure on the Israeli leader to halt the genocide, but he likely only did so because the strain of his relationship with the isolated government of the Israeli PM had become too great. The large demonstrations across the world for the freedom of Palestine, and the unwavering opposition protests within the country, are the actual forces behind this influence.

It is thanks to this massive civil movement that a truce has been signed, the captives released, and the people of Gaza can experience protection from annihilation. Following the ceasefire agreement has been signed, it is vital to continue applying this influence. The international community has ignored to the violence in Gaza for too long; it must not repeat the same error in the occupied territories.