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Last Monday, amid a combined speech by American leader Donald Trump and Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israeli parliament, fellow lawmaker Ayman Odeh and I raised a sign calling for the recognition of the Palestinian state. We were forcibly ejected from the legislative assembly, revealing the fragile state of what's often described as the "only democratic state in the region". How can officials talk about Middle East peace while refusing to recognize a population denied of basic liberties and entitlements under decades-long military control?

The Reality in the West Bank

In no place is the hypocrisy more evident than in the occupied West Bank. There, words of reconciliation sound remote and weak, while the terrifying echoes of settler violence and terror continue strongly. Over 30 incidents of settler aggression against Palestinians have been documented since the unveiling of the Trump administration's peace proposal in September's end, featuring physical assaults, theft of crops, and torching of vehicles and property.

Targeted Violence During Agricultural Period

The rise in settler terrorism is not coincidental. This period marks the start of agricultural harvesting. Beyond a vital economic activity, it represents an significant social and national moment that demonstrates resilience under military rule. Precisely for these reasons, annually 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, harvest-thwarting, or damage to olive groves and crops involving Israeli civilians and soldiers, which occurred on lands owned by 51 Palestinian villages, towns, and areas.

Israel's military appeared to have had a greater part in obstructing the harvesting season

The human rights group also found that "Israel's military appeared to have had a greater role in hindering the olive harvest". In approximately 70% of instances where entry to farmland was forcibly prevented, troops, border guards, and settlement security officials were actually on site. They either directly stopped Palestinians from reaching and gathering their property, or failed to prevent colonists who threatened or assaulted them.

Government Backing for Settler Activities

This comes as no shock, as the leader of the colonists' political movement, Bezalel Smotrich, was named as an additional official in the Defense Ministry responsible for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. In one village, for instance, a special COGAT unit uprooted personally-owned olive plants of Palestinians, claiming missing documentation, but ignored infractions by an unauthorized adjacent settler outpost. Last week, the local court decided to halt all building work in the outpost, which was built on property taken by Israel and unlawfully transferred to settlers.

Takeover Ambitions and Global Response

In the occupied West Bank, settler terrorism is nothing but a tool used by the government to pursue de-facto incorporation. Recently, Smotrich led a march of thousands of settlers in support of taking over the West Bank. He was reported as saying, "We are continuing to take hold with our presence of the territory with numerous settlers, many heroes, and countless of colonists who live in this area of the land ... we must to normalize it and make it eternal."

The settlers and their supporters in the parliament are explicit about their motives and intentions. Why, then, do political leaders in the west hesitate from meaningful penalties and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in the summer, but the impact of the sanction has been limited. He may not be permitted to go to the UK and tour the London's entertainment district, but he still maintains the ministerial power to seize lands in the West Bank. Even in the announcement of sanctions, the UK emphasized they take place "personally" only.

Global Acknowledgment and Reality

If the UK government acknowledges the reality of colonist aggression and its grave consequences on Palestinian life, why does it still allow settlement produce to be marketed in markets and outlets in the UK? If the British leader is genuine about acknowledging Palestinian statehood as a sovereign entity, how come he permit the Israeli government to violate its independence with such violent means? Or was the recognition an empty tactic to shut down dissenting voices in the UK, a hollow gesture only to be realised in the rebranding of some maps?

Route Toward Genuine Resolution

A fair resolution must respect the fundamental rights of the Palestinian population for self-determination, independence, and liberty from military occupation and siege. Only when every person's worth between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea is respected can we genuinely say peace has been achieved.

True peace demands an sovereign Palestinian state next to the Israeli state: this is the only solution that has consensus among the international community, the Palestinian national movement, and the Israeli peace advocates.

Trump may have inflicted influence on Netanyahu to stop the genocide, but he probably only did so because the burden of his relationship with the isolated government of Netanyahu had become too great. The large demonstrations across the globe for the liberation of Palestine, and the persistent anti-government demonstrations inside Israel, are the real factors behind this pressure.

It is due to this massive civil movement that a truce has been signed, the hostages freed, and the residents of the territory can experience safeguard from annihilation. Following the truce arrangement has been finalized, it is vital to keep maintaining this influence. The world has ignored to the violence in the strip for too long; it must not repeat the same error in the occupied territories.