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Last Monday, during a joint speech by American leader Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israeli parliament, colleague parliamentarian Ayman Odeh and I displayed a banner urging the acknowledgment of the Palestinian state. We were violently ejected from the parliamentary assembly, revealing the weak condition of what's frequently portrayed as the "sole democratic state in the region". How can leaders speak about Middle East peace while declining to acknowledge a people deprived of basic freedoms and rights under decades-long occupation?

The Situation in the Occupied West Bank

Nowhere is the deceit more apparent than in the controlled West Bank. There, talk of peace seem distant and faint, while the frightening echoes of settler violence and terror continue strongly. Over 30 occurrences of violence by settlers against Palestinian civilians have been documented since the announcement of the US 20-point plan in September's end, including attacks, stealing of agricultural produce, and torching of vehicles and property.

Targeted Violence During Agricultural Period

The increase in settler terrorism is deliberate. This time marks the beginning of agricultural harvesting. Beyond a vital economic event, it represents an significant social and national occasion that demonstrates endurance under military rule. Precisely for these causes, year after year colonists target Palestinian farmers throughout this precious time. During the last year's agricultural season, human rights organizations documented 113 separate incidents of violence, intimidation, preventing harvesting, or destruction to olive trees and produce involving Israeli civilians and soldiers, which took place on lands owned by 51 Palestinian-owned communities, towns, and areas.

Israel's military appeared to have played a larger role in obstructing the olive harvest

The human rights group also found that "Israeli military seemed to have had a greater role in obstructing the olive harvest". In approximately 70% of cases where access to farmland was violently blocked, troops, border guards, and settler civilian security coordinators were actually present. They either directly stopped Palestinians from reaching and harvesting their property, or failed to stop settlers who threatened or assaulted them.

Government Backing for Settler Activities

This is no shock, as the leader of the colonists' political movement, Bezalel Smotrich, was appointed as an extra minister in the Defense Ministry responsible for the territorial coordination unit. In Umm al-Khair, for instance, a special COGAT unit uprooted private olive trees of Palestinians, citing lack of permits, but overlooked violations by an unauthorized adjacent settler outpost. Last week, the local court decided to stop all building work in the outpost, which was constructed on lands seized by Israeli authorities and illegally transferred to colonists.

Takeover Ambitions and Global Response

In the controlled West Bank, settler terrorism is simply a tool used by the administration to pursue practical incorporation. Earlier this month, Smotrich led a procession of thousands of settlers in support of taking over the West Bank. He was quoted as saying, "We persist to establish presence with our presence of the territory with many settlers, numerous champions, and countless of settlers who reside in this area of the land ... we must to normalise it and make it eternal."

The colonists and their supporters in the parliament are explicit about their motives and goals. Why, then, do government officials in the west refrain from substantial sanctions and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was penalized by the UK in June, but the impact of the penalty has been minimal. He may not be permitted to travel to the UK and tour the London's entertainment district, but he still enjoys the governmental authority to take lands in the West Bank. Even in the declaration of sanctions, the British government emphasized they apply "personally" only.

Global Acknowledgment and Reality

If the UK government recognizes the truth of settler violence and its serious consequences on Palestinian existence, why does it still permit settlement produce to be sold in stores and shops in Britain? If the British leader is genuine about recognition of Palestine as a sovereign entity, how come he permit the Israeli administration to breach its independence with such aggressive methods? Or was the acknowledgment an hollow tactic to silence dissenting voices in the UK, a hollow gesture only to be realised in the relabeling of some maps?

Route Toward Genuine Peace

A just resolution must respect the fundamental entitlements of the Palestinian people for self-determination, sovereignty, and liberty from military occupation and siege. Only when each human being's worth between the Jordan River and sea is honored can we truly declare peace has been attained.

Genuine resolution requires an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel: this is the only solution that has agreement among the international community, the Palestinian national movement, and the Israeli peace advocates.

Trump may have applied influence on Netanyahu to halt the violence, but he probably only did so because the burden of his connection with the isolated government of Netanyahu had become too great. The large demonstrations throughout the globe for the freedom of Palestinian territories, and the unwavering anti-government demonstrations inside Israel, are the real forces behind this pressure.

It is thanks to this massive public campaign that a ceasefire has been agreed, the hostages freed, and the residents of Gaza can enjoy safeguard from destruction. Following the ceasefire agreement has been finalized, it is crucial to continue applying this pressure. The world has ignored to the atrocities in Gaza for too long; it must not repeat the same mistake in the West Bank.