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Last Monday, amid a combined speech by American leader Donald Trump and Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, fellow parliamentarian Ayman Odeh and I displayed a banner urging the recognition of Palestine. We were forcibly ejected from the parliamentary session, revealing the fragile state of what's often portrayed as the "only democratic state in the region". How can leaders talk about Middle East peace while declining to acknowledge a population denied of fundamental liberties and entitlements under long-standing occupation?

The Reality in the West Bank

In no place is the deceit more evident than in the controlled West Bank. There, talk of peace sound distant and weak, while the frightening sounds of colonist attacks and terror persist strongly. More than 30 incidents of settler aggression against Palestinian civilians have been documented since the announcement of the US peace proposal in September's end, including physical assaults, stealing of crops, and burning of vehicles and property.

Targeted Violence During Harvest Season

The increase in settler terrorism is deliberate. This time marks the start of harvest seasons. More than a vital economic activity, it constitutes an significant social and cultural moment that shows endurance under occupation. Precisely for these causes, annually colonists target Palestinians throughout this crucial time. During the 2024 harvest period, rights groups recorded 113 distinct incidents of violence, harassment, harvest-thwarting, or damage to olive trees and crops by Israeli civilians and soldiers, which took place on lands owned by 51 Palestinian-owned villages, towns, and communities.

Israel's security forces appeared to have played a larger role in hindering the harvesting season

Yesh Din also found that "Israeli security forces seemed to have had a larger role in hindering the olive harvest". In approximately 70% of cases where access to farmland was violently blocked, troops, border guards, and settler security officials were physically on site. They either personally prevented Palestinians from accessing and gathering their property, or failed to prevent colonists who harassed or attacked them.

Political Support for Settler Activities

This is no surprise, as the leader of the settlers' political party, Bezalel Smotrich, was appointed as an extra minister in the Defense Ministry in charge of the territorial coordination unit. In one village, for instance, a particular COGAT unit removed personally-owned olive plants of Palestinians, citing missing documentation, but overlooked infractions by an unauthorized adjacent settler outpost. Last week, the local court decided to halt all construction in the encampment, which was constructed on lands seized by Israel and illegally given to colonists.

Annexation Ambitions and International Response

In the controlled West Bank, colonist violence is simply a instrument used by the administration to achieve practical annexation. Earlier this month, Smotrich led a procession of thousands of settlers in support of taking over the West Bank. He was quoted as stating, "We are continuing to establish presence with our presence of the Land of Israel with numerous settlers, numerous heroes, and hundreds of thousands of colonists who live in this part of the land ... we need to normalize it and make it eternal."

The settlers and their backers in the parliament are clear about their motives and goals. Why, then, do political leaders in the Western nations hesitate from meaningful sanctions and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in June, but the effect of the penalty has been limited. He may not be able to travel to the United Kingdom and tour the West End, but he still maintains the governmental authority to take territories in the West Bank. Even in the announcement of penalties, the British government highlighted they apply "in his personal capacity" solely.

International Acknowledgment and Reality

If the UK government recognizes the reality of settler violence and its serious consequences on Palestinian existence, why does it still allow settlement produce to be marketed in stores and outlets in the UK? If Starmer is serious about acknowledging Palestinian statehood as a sovereign entity, how can he permit the Israeli government to breach its sovereignty with such aggressive methods? Or was the recognition an empty ploy to silence opposition in the UK, a meaningless act only to be realised in the rebranding of some cartographic representations?

Pathway to Genuine Resolution

A fair resolution must honor the fundamental entitlements of the Palestinian people for self-determination, independence, and liberty from occupation and siege. Only when every person's worth across the Jordan River and sea is honored can we truly declare peace has been attained.

Genuine peace demands an independent Palestinian state next to Israel: this is the sole formula that has consensus among the international community, the Palestinian leadership, and the Israeli peace camp.

The former US president may have applied pressure on the Israeli leader to halt the violence, but he probably only did so because the burden of his relationship with the pariah regime of the Israeli PM had become too great. The mass protests throughout the world for the liberation of Palestine, and the unwavering anti-government protests inside the country, are the real forces behind this pressure.

It is thanks to this massive civil movement that a ceasefire has been signed, the captives released, and the residents of Gaza can enjoy safeguard from annihilation. After the ceasefire agreement has been finalized, it is vital to keep maintaining this pressure. The international community has ignored to the atrocities in Gaza for many years; it must not repeat the same error in the West Bank.