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Last Monday, during a joint speech by American leader Donald Trump and Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israeli parliament, colleague parliamentarian Ayman Odeh and I displayed a banner urging the recognition of Palestine. We were forcibly ejected from the legislative assembly, revealing the weak condition of what's frequently described as the "sole democracy in the Middle East". How can officials talk about regional peace while refusing to acknowledge a population deprived of basic freedoms and rights under decades-long occupation?

The Reality in the Occupied West Bank

In no place is the hypocrisy more evident than in the occupied West Bank. There, words of peace seem distant and weak, while the terrifying echoes of colonist attacks and intimidation persist strongly. Over 30 occurrences of settler aggression against Palestinians have been recorded since the unveiling of the US 20-point plan in September's end, featuring attacks, stealing of agricultural produce, and burning of vehicles and property.

Targeted Violence During Harvest Season

The increase in settler terrorism is deliberate. This period marks the beginning of agricultural harvesting. More than a vital economic activity, it constitutes an important social and national occasion that shows endurance under occupation. Precisely for these causes, annually colonists attack Palestinians during this crucial time. During the 2024 harvest period, rights groups documented 113 distinct cases of aggression, harassment, preventing harvesting, or damage to olive trees and produce by Israeli civilians and soldiers, which took place on lands belonging to 51 Palestinian-owned communities, municipalities, and communities.

Israeli military seemed to have had a greater role in hindering the harvesting season

Yesh Din also discovered that "Israel's military appeared to have played a larger part in hindering the olive harvest". In about 70% of instances where access to lands was violently blocked, soldiers, border police officers, and settler security officials were actually present. They either directly stopped Palestinian farmers from accessing and harvesting their own lands, or failed to prevent settlers who harassed or assaulted them.

Government Backing for Settler Activities

This is no surprise, as the head of the colonists' political movement, Bezalel Smotrich, was named as an additional official in the Defense Ministry responsible for the territorial coordination unit. In Umm al-Khair, for instance, a particular COGAT unit removed personally-owned olive plants of local residents, citing lack of permits, but ignored infractions by an illegal adjacent settler outpost. Last week, the Jerusalem district court ruled to stop all building work in the outpost, which was built on lands seized by Israeli authorities and unlawfully transferred to colonists.

Takeover Ambitions and Global Reaction

In the occupied West Bank, settler terrorism is nothing but a tool used by the government to achieve de-facto annexation. Recently, Smotrich led a march of many of colonists in favor of annexation the West Bank. He was quoted as stating, "We persist to take hold with our feet of the Land of Israel with many pioneers, numerous champions, and countless of colonists who reside in this area of the territory ... we must to normalise it and establish it permanently."

The colonists and their backers in the Knesset are clear about their intentions and intentions. Why, then, do government officials in the Western nations hesitate from substantial sanctions and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was sanctioned by the UK in the summer, but the effect of the sanction has been minimal. He may not be permitted to go to the UK and visit the London's entertainment district, but he still maintains the governmental authority to take lands in the West Bank. Remarkably in the announcement of sanctions, the UK emphasized they apply "personally" only.

International Recognition and Reality

If the British administration recognizes the reality of colonist aggression and its serious implications on Palestinian existence, why does it still allow settlement produce to be marketed in stores and outlets in the UK? If the British leader is serious about recognition of Palestine as a state, how come he permit the Israeli administration to violate its sovereignty with such violent means? Or was the recognition an hollow tactic to silence dissenting voices in the UK, a meaningless act only to be implemented in the relabeling of some cartographic representations?

Pathway to True Resolution

A fair resolution must respect the fundamental rights of the Palestinian population for self-determination, sovereignty, and liberty from occupation and blockade. Only when each human being's dignity across the Jordan River and sea is honored can we truly declare peace has been achieved.

True resolution demands an independent Palestinian state next to Israel: this is the only solution that has agreement among the global community, the Palestinian leadership, and the Israeli peace advocates.

The former US president may have inflicted pressure on the Israeli leader to halt the violence, but he likely only did so because the strain of his relationship with the pariah regime of Netanyahu had become too great. The mass protests across the world for the liberation of Palestinian territories, and the persistent anti-government protests within the country, are the actual factors behind this influence.

It is due to this massive public campaign that a truce has been agreed, the hostages released, and the people of the territory can experience protection from destruction. 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 the strip for too long; it must not repeat the same error in the occupied territories.