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Last week, during a joint address 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 acknowledgment of Palestine. We were forcibly removed from the legislative assembly, exposing the weak state of what's frequently described as the "only democratic state in the region". How can leaders speak about Middle East peace while declining to recognize a population denied of basic freedoms and rights under long-standing occupation?

The Reality in the Occupied West Bank

In no place is the deceit more apparent than in the controlled West Bank. There, talk of peace seem remote and weak, while the frightening sounds of colonist attacks and intimidation persist strongly. Over 30 incidents of settler aggression against Palestinian civilians have been recorded since the announcement of the Trump administration's peace proposal in late September, featuring physical assaults, stealing of agricultural produce, and burning of cars and property.

Targeted Violence During Agricultural Period

The rise in settler terrorism is not coincidental. This period marks the beginning of agricultural harvesting. Beyond a crucial economic activity, it constitutes an significant social and national occasion that demonstrates endurance under occupation. Exactly for these reasons, annually settlers target Palestinians during this precious time. During the 2024 harvest season, rights groups documented 113 distinct incidents of aggression, intimidation, preventing harvesting, or damage to olive trees and produce involving Israeli civilians and soldiers, which occurred on territories owned by 51 Palestinian-owned villages, municipalities, and communities.

Israeli military seemed to have played a larger role in hindering the olive harvest

Yesh Din also found that "Israeli security forces seemed to have played a greater role in hindering the olive harvest". In approximately 70% of cases where entry to farmland was violently blocked, troops, border guards, and settler security officials were physically on site. They either directly prevented Palestinians from reaching and gathering their own lands, or failed to stop settlers who harassed or assaulted them.

Political Backing for Colonization

This is no surprise, as the leader of the colonists' political movement, Bezalel Smotrich, was named as an extra official in the Defense Ministry in charge of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. In Umm al-Khair, for example, a particular military coordination team uprooted personally-owned olive trees of Palestinians, claiming lack of permits, but overlooked infractions by an unauthorized adjacent settler outpost. Last week, the Jerusalem district court ruled to halt all construction in the encampment, which was constructed on property taken by Israeli authorities and unlawfully given to colonists.

Takeover Goals and International Reaction

In the occupied West Bank, colonist violence is nothing but a instrument used by the administration to achieve practical annexation. Recently, Smotrich headed a march of thousands of colonists in favor of taking over the West Bank. He was reported as stating, "We persist to take hold with our feet of the territory with many pioneers, numerous heroes, and countless of settlers who reside in this part of the territory ... we must to normalize it and establish it permanently."

The colonists and their backers in the parliament are clear about their intentions and goals. Why, then, do political leaders in the Western nations refrain from meaningful sanctions and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was penalized by the United Kingdom in the summer, but the impact of the sanction has been limited. He may not be able to travel to the United Kingdom and visit the West End, but he still maintains the governmental authority to take lands in the West Bank. Remarkably in the announcement of sanctions, the British government highlighted they take place "personally" solely.

Global Acknowledgment and Actual Situation

If the UK government recognizes the truth of settler violence and its serious implications on Palestinian existence, why does it still allow settlement produce to be marketed in markets and outlets in Britain? If Starmer is serious about acknowledging Palestinian statehood as a state, how come he allow the Israeli administration to breach its sovereignty with such aggressive methods? Or was the recognition an empty tactic to silence opposition in the UK, a meaningless act only to be implemented in the rebranding of some maps?

Pathway to Genuine Resolution

A fair peace must respect the basic rights of the Palestinian people for self-recognition, sovereignty, and freedom from military occupation and blockade. Only when every human being's dignity across the river and Mediterranean Sea is respected can we genuinely declare peace has been achieved.

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

Trump may have applied influence on the Israeli leader to halt the violence, but he probably only did so because the burden of his relationship with the isolated government of the Israeli PM had become excessive. The large demonstrations across the globe for the freedom of Palestinian territories, and the unwavering anti-government demonstrations within Israel, are the actual factors behind this pressure.

It is thanks to this enormous public campaign that a ceasefire has been agreed, the hostages released, and the people of Gaza can enjoy safeguard from annihilation. Following the ceasefire agreement has been finalized, it is crucial to continue maintaining this influence. The international community has ignored to the atrocities in Gaza for too long; it must not make the same mistake in the occupied territories.