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Last week, amid a combined address by American leader Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, colleague parliamentarian Ayman Odeh and I displayed a banner urging the recognition of Palestine. We were violently removed from the parliamentary assembly, revealing the weak condition of what's frequently described as the "sole democracy in the region". How can officials speak about Middle East peace while refusing to recognize a people denied of fundamental liberties and entitlements under decades-long military control?

The Reality in the West Bank

In no place is the hypocrisy more apparent than in the controlled West Bank. There, talk of reconciliation seem distant and weak, while the frightening echoes of colonist attacks and intimidation persist loudly. More than 30 incidents of violence by settlers against Palestinians have been documented since the announcement of the Trump administration's peace proposal in late September, featuring physical assaults, stealing of crops, and burning of vehicles and property.

Targeted Violence During Agricultural Period

The rise in violence by colonists is deliberate. This period marks the beginning of harvest seasons. More than a crucial economic activity, it represents an significant communal and cultural moment that shows endurance under occupation. Precisely for these reasons, year after year settlers target Palestinians throughout this crucial time. During the last year's agricultural season, rights groups documented 113 distinct incidents of violence, intimidation, harvest-thwarting, or destruction to olive trees and produce by settlers and soldiers, which occurred on territories belonging to 51 Palestinian communities, municipalities, and areas.

Israeli military appeared to have had a greater role in obstructing the olive harvest

Yesh Din also found that "Israeli military seemed to have had a greater role in obstructing the olive harvest". In about 70% of cases where access to farmland was forcibly prevented, troops, border police officers, and settlement civilian security coordinators were physically present. They either directly stopped Palestinians from reaching and harvesting their property, or neglected to prevent settlers who threatened or assaulted them.

Government Backing for Settler Activities

This comes as no surprise, as the leader of the settlers' political party, Bezalel Smotrich, was appointed as an extra official in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the territorial coordination unit. In Umm al-Khair, for example, a special COGAT unit removed private olive trees of local residents, citing missing documentation, but overlooked infractions by an unauthorized nearby colonist encampment. Last week, the Jerusalem district court ruled to halt all construction in the outpost, which was constructed on lands taken by Israeli authorities and illegally transferred to colonists.

Takeover Goals and International Response

In the occupied West Bank, colonist violence is nothing but a tool used by the administration to pursue de-facto incorporation. Recently, Smotrich led a procession of many of settlers in support of annexation the West Bank. He was quoted as saying, "We persist to take hold with our feet of the Land of Israel with numerous pioneers, numerous heroes, and hundreds of thousands of colonists who reside in this part of the territory ... we need to normalize it and establish it permanently."

The colonists and their backers in the Knesset are explicit about their intentions and intentions. Why, then, do government officials in the west hesitate from substantial penalties and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was sanctioned by the UK in June, but the impact of the sanction has been minimal. He may not be permitted to travel to the UK and tour the West End, but he still enjoys the ministerial power to seize territories in the West Bank. Remarkably in the announcement of sanctions, the UK highlighted they apply "in his personal capacity" solely.

Global Recognition and Actual Situation

If the UK government recognizes the truth of colonist aggression and its serious consequences on Palestinian existence, why does it still permit settlement produce to be marketed in markets and outlets in Britain? If Starmer 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 acknowledgment an hollow ploy to shut down opposition in the United Kingdom, a hollow act only to be implemented in the rebranding of some maps?

Pathway to Genuine Resolution

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

Genuine peace demands an sovereign Palestinian state alongside the Israeli state: this is the only solution that has agreement among the global community, the Palestinian leadership, and the Israeli peace camp.

The former US president may have applied influence on Netanyahu to stop the violence, but he likely only did so because the burden of his connection with the pariah regime of the Israeli PM had become excessive. The mass protests across the world for the liberation of Palestinian territories, and the unwavering opposition protests inside Israel, are the actual forces behind this influence.

It is due to this massive public campaign that a ceasefire has been signed, the hostages released, and the residents of the territory can experience safeguard from annihilation. Following the ceasefire agreement has been finalized, it is crucial to continue applying this pressure. The world has ignored to the violence in Gaza for too long; it must not repeat the same error in the occupied territories.