Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has escalated through 2021, characterized by a spike in property attacks and the torching of mosques. This surge follows a shift in Israeli authority tactics to create a permissive atmosphere
for settlers, coinciding with political pressure and calls for annexation.
The divide in the West Bank is marked by a stark legal duality: Israelis live under civilian law with freedom of movement, while Palestinians are subject to military occupation and courts. This system has been described by prominent human rights groups as apartheid
, a label that Israel has rejected as absurd and distorted
.
Statistical Surge in Settler Attacks
Violence against Palestinian villages and properties has increased sharply. According to reporting from Haaretz, attacks more than doubled in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in previous years.
| Year | Reported Settler Attacks | Palestinians Wounded |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 363 | 7 |
| 2020 | 507 | 8 |
| 2021 (First Half) | 416 | 23 |
Of the 416 attacks in early 2021, 139 involved stone-throwing, the slashing of tires, uprooting trees, and price tag
incidents featuring racist graffiti. These actions were often carried out by groups such as the Hilltop Youth and Price Tag, some of whom are students at religious schools in illegal settlements. The violence persisted even during three separate lockdowns imposed by Israel to curb Covid-19, primarily affecting the cities of Nablus, Ramallah, and Hebron.
The increase in violence may be linked to a tactical change by Israeli authorities. Following the death of settler Ahuvia Sandak in a car crash and the December 2020 killing of Esther Horgan by Palestinians, officials reportedly allowed settlers to let off steam
to avoid direct confrontation, creating what was described as a permissive atmosphere
.
Targeting of Mosques and Religious Sites
Religious sites have become specific targets for settler arson and vandalism. In January 2021, settlers torched a mosque in the East Jerusalem suburb of Sharafat village. Similarly, in February 2020, racist slogans were sprayed on a mosque in the northern Palestinian town of Jish.
More recently, Palestinian officials reported that settlers set fire to two mosques in the West Bank. In the village of Qusra, southeast of Nablus, a newly completed mosque was torched just as it was ready for worshippers.
Abdel Azim Wadi, head of the Qusra village council, stated that the mosque was in its final stage and ready to receive worshippers, having already been furnished with couches, but that attackers set it on fire and spray-painted Hebrew slogans on its walls.
The graffiti at the Qusra site included the phrase Jewish revenge
and the name of an Israeli killed during a previous clash near the village of Tal. This suggests a pattern where settlers use the destruction of religious property as a direct response to Palestinian casualties.
Political Blueprints and the Role of Bezalel Smotrich
The ideological drive behind these attacks often mirrors the official rhetoric of far-right government members. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the annexation of the West Bank, territory captured in the 1967 Middle East war. This aligns with a 2017 blueprint Smotrich published before joining the government, which suggested Palestinians should give up their struggle for statehood and live quietly under Israeli rule.
This political framework creates a binary choice for residents. In a conversation with the BBC, Shimon laid out three options for Palestinians: live quietly under Israeli rule, emigrate to other Arab or Muslim nations, or face death.
Shimon asserted that if Palestinians do not want to make peace with them or leave, he has no choice but to kill them all.
Smotrich has furthered this agenda while in office by pushing for the voluntary migration
of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the re-settlement of Israelis in that territory, while describing Palestinian identity itself as an invention
.
Hebron Violence and Security Failures
The city of Hebron has seen intense volatility, particularly surrounding Israeli general elections. Following the death of an Israeli security officer near Kiryat Arba, settlers blocked access to the Al-Fawwar refugee camp and attacked Palestinian vehicles.
Human rights activist Hisham Sharbati reported that settlers closed all intersections in Hebron on a Saturday night, and the Israeli army maintained those closures into Sunday morning. During these clashes, armed settlers allegedly sprayed civilians with pepper gas in the Al-Sahla neighborhood, while the Israeli army reportedly protected them. The violence extended to medical services; the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its ambulance crew came under fire from Israeli troops, resulting in a paramedic being wounded in the shoulder and transferred to Al-Ahly Hospital.
For Palestinians, the presence of the Israeli military is often viewed as a shield for settlers rather than a neutral security force. One resident living near the Havat Gilad outpost described watching her window constantly for signs of an imminent attack, stating that the international community has abandoned them.
A Palestinian resident of the West Bank remarked that Europe is busy, America is preoccupied with Iran, China is indifferent, Russia is fighting Ukraine, the UN is finished, and the Arabs have internal problems, leaving them unsure of what they can do.
The Fatah movement has responded to these systematic attacks by calling for strikes and asserting that their struggle continues in defense of their land. The persistent gap between the permissive atmosphere
granted to settlers and the military restrictions placed on Palestinians leaves the question of who will eventually enforce the law in the West Bank—and whether that law will ever apply equally to both populations.
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