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Last Monday, during a combined address by US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, colleague parliamentarian Ayman Odeh and I displayed a sign calling for the recognition of the Palestinian state. We were forcibly ejected from the parliamentary assembly, exposing the weak state of what's often portrayed as the "sole democratic state in the Middle East". How can officials talk about Middle East peace while refusing to recognize a population deprived of fundamental freedoms and rights under long-standing military control?

The Situation in the West Bank

In no place is the deceit more apparent than in the occupied West Bank. There, talk of reconciliation sound remote and weak, while the terrifying echoes of settler violence and terror continue strongly. Over 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 torching of cars and property.

Targeted Violence During Agricultural Period

The rise in settler terrorism is not coincidental. This time marks the start of harvest seasons. More than a vital economic activity, it represents an important communal and national occasion that shows resilience under military rule. Precisely for these reasons, year after year settlers attack Palestinians during this precious period. During the last year's agricultural season, human rights organizations documented 113 distinct incidents of violence, harassment, harvest-thwarting, or destruction to olive trees and crops by Israeli civilians and soldiers, which occurred on lands belonging to 51 Palestinian communities, towns, and areas.

Israel's military appeared to have played a larger role in obstructing the harvesting season

Yesh Din also found that "Israel's security forces seemed to have played a greater part in obstructing the harvesting season". In approximately 70% of instances where access to lands was forcibly prevented, soldiers, border police officers, and settlement civilian security coordinators were actually on site. They either personally stopped Palestinians from accessing and harvesting their property, or neglected to prevent colonists who harassed or assaulted them.

Political Backing for Settler Activities

This comes as no surprise, as the head of the colonists' political movement, Bezalel Smotrich, was appointed as an extra official in the Defense Ministry responsible for the territorial coordination unit. In one village, for instance, a special COGAT unit removed private olive trees of local residents, claiming missing documentation, but ignored infractions by an unauthorized nearby colonist encampment. Last week, the local court ruled to halt all building work in the encampment, which was built on property seized by Israeli authorities and unlawfully given to colonists.

Takeover Ambitions and International Response

In the occupied West Bank, settler terrorism is nothing but a instrument used by the administration to pursue de-facto annexation. Earlier this month, Smotrich headed a march of many of colonists in support of annexation the West Bank. He was quoted as stating, "We are continuing to take hold with our presence of the territory with many settlers, numerous champions, and countless of colonists who reside in this part of the land ... we need to normalise it and make it eternal."

The colonists and their supporters in the parliament are clear about their motives and intentions. Why, then, do political leaders in the west hesitate from substantial sanctions and diplomatic measures? Smotrich was sanctioned by the UK 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 enjoys the governmental authority to seize territories in the West Bank. Even in the declaration of penalties, the UK highlighted they take place "in his personal capacity" only.

Global Acknowledgment and Actual Situation

If the UK government recognizes the reality of colonist aggression and its serious consequences on Palestinian life, why does it still allow goods from settlements to be marketed in stores and outlets in Britain? If Starmer is genuine about acknowledging Palestinian statehood as a sovereign entity, how can he allow the Israeli administration to violate its sovereignty with such aggressive methods? Or was the recognition an empty tactic to shut down dissenting voices in the UK, a meaningless gesture only to be implemented in the relabeling of some cartographic representations?

Pathway to Genuine Peace

A just resolution must respect the basic entitlements of the Palestinian population for self-determination, independence, and freedom from military occupation and blockade. Only when every person's worth across the river and sea is honored can we genuinely say reconciliation has been attained.

True peace requires an independent Palestinian state next to the Israeli state: this is the sole solution that enjoises consensus among the global community, the Palestinian national movement, and the Israeli peace camp.

Trump may have inflicted influence on Netanyahu to stop the genocide, but he probably only did so because the strain of his relationship with the pariah regime of the Israeli PM had become too great. The large demonstrations across the globe for the freedom of Palestine, and the persistent anti-government protests inside Israel, are the actual forces behind this pressure.

It is due to this enormous civil movement that a ceasefire has been agreed, the captives freed, and the residents of the territory can experience protection from annihilation. After the ceasefire agreement has been finalized, it is crucial to continue applying this pressure. The international community has ignored to the atrocities in the strip for many years; it must not make the same mistake in the occupied territories.