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Last Monday, amid a joint speech by American leader Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israeli parliament, fellow lawmaker Ayman Odeh and I raised a banner urging the recognition of the Palestinian state. We were violently ejected from the legislative assembly, revealing the weak condition of what's frequently described as the "sole democracy in the region". How can leaders speak about regional peace while refusing to acknowledge a population denied of fundamental freedoms and entitlements under long-standing occupation?

The Situation in the West Bank

Nowhere is the deceit more evident than in the occupied West Bank. There, talk of peace seem distant and weak, while the terrifying echoes of settler violence and terror continue loudly. Over 30 incidents of violence by settlers against Palestinians have been recorded since the unveiling of the Trump administration's 20-point plan in late September, including attacks, theft of crops, and torching of cars and property.

Systematic Violence During Agricultural Period

The increase in violence by colonists is deliberate. This time signals the beginning of agricultural harvesting. Beyond a crucial economic event, it represents an important communal and national moment that shows resilience under occupation. Exactly for these causes, year after year colonists attack Palestinians during this crucial period. During the 2024 harvest period, rights groups recorded 113 separate cases of violence, harassment, harvest-thwarting, or destruction to olive groves and produce involving Israeli civilians and soldiers, which occurred on lands belonging to 51 Palestinian-owned villages, towns, and areas.

Israeli security forces appeared to have played a larger part in obstructing the olive harvest

The human rights group also discovered that "Israel's security forces appeared to have had a larger part in hindering the olive harvest". In about 70% of cases where entry to lands was violently blocked, soldiers, border guards, and settler civilian security coordinators were actually on site. They either directly prevented Palestinians from reaching and harvesting their property, or failed to stop colonists who harassed or assaulted them.

Political Support for Settler Activities

This comes as no surprise, as the leader of the colonists' political movement, Bezalel Smotrich, was appointed as an additional minister in the Defense Ministry responsible for the territorial coordination unit. In Umm al-Khair, for instance, a special military coordination team uprooted personally-owned olive trees of local residents, claiming missing documentation, but ignored infractions by an unauthorized nearby settler outpost. Last week, the Jerusalem district court ruled to stop all construction in the encampment, which was built on property taken by Israel and unlawfully transferred to settlers.

Annexation Ambitions and Global Reaction

In the controlled West Bank, colonist violence is simply a tool used by the government to achieve practical annexation. Earlier this month, Smotrich headed a march of many of colonists in favor of taking over the West Bank. He was quoted as stating, "We are continuing to take hold with our feet of the Land of Israel with many settlers, numerous heroes, and countless of colonists who live in this area of the territory ... we need to normalise it and establish it permanently."

The settlers and their backers in the Knesset are clear about their motives and goals. Why, then, do government officials in the Western nations hesitate from substantial sanctions and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was penalized by the UK in June, but the effect of the sanction has been minimal. He may not be able to go to the United Kingdom and visit the London's entertainment district, but he still maintains the governmental authority to take lands in the West Bank. Even in the announcement of penalties, the British government highlighted they take place "in his personal capacity" solely.

Global Recognition and Reality

If the British administration recognizes the truth of colonist aggression and its serious consequences on Palestinian existence, why does it still allow settlement produce to be sold in markets and outlets in Britain? If Starmer is genuine about acknowledging Palestinian statehood as a sovereign entity, how come he allow the Israeli government to breach its independence with such aggressive methods? Or was the recognition an empty ploy to shut down opposition in the United Kingdom, a meaningless act only to be implemented in the relabeling of some cartographic representations?

Pathway to Genuine Resolution

A just peace must respect the basic rights of the Palestinian people for self-recognition, independence, and freedom from occupation and blockade. Only when each person's worth across the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea is honored can we genuinely say peace has been attained.

Genuine resolution demands an sovereign Palestinian state next to Israel: this is the only solution that has agreement among the international community, the Palestinian national movement, and the Israeli peace camp.

The former US president may have applied influence on the Israeli leader to halt the genocide, but he probably only did so because the burden of his connection with the isolated government of the Israeli PM had become excessive. The mass protests across the globe for the freedom of Palestine, and the persistent anti-government protests within Israel, are the real factors behind this pressure.

It is thanks to this enormous public campaign that a ceasefire has been signed, the captives freed, and the residents of the territory can enjoy safeguard from annihilation. Following the ceasefire agreement has been signed, it is vital to continue maintaining this pressure. The international community has turned a blind eye to the atrocities in the strip for many years; it must not repeat the same mistake in the occupied territories.