An Israeli settler in the occupied West Bank has stated that Palestinians who do not accept Israeli rule should be killed, framing such actions as justified revenge. The comments, made to the BBC, come amid rising settler violence against Palestinians in the region as Israeli settlements and outposts expand.
The settler, identified only as Shimon from Havat Gilad, outlined three options for Palestinian residents: live under Israeli rule, voluntarily emigrate, or face being killed if they resist.
"if you don't want to make peace with us, and you don't want to get out, I don't have a choice: I must kill you, and I kill you all," Shimon said.
Palestinians living near Havat Gilad reported feeling unprotected, with their own security forces absent and the Israeli army perceived as prioritizing settler safety. Many expressed a sense of abandonment by the international community.
Shimon's sentiments appear to align with views expressed by Israel's current Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich. In 2017, before joining the government, Smotrich published a blueprint for the West Bank that proposed Palestinians cease striving for a state and live under Israeli rule. He suggested that those unwilling to relinquish national ambitions could leave, while those who continued armed struggle would be killed by Israeli forces.
More recently, Smotrich has advocated for the "voluntary migration" of Palestinians from Gaza and the resettlement of Israelis there, describing Palestinian identity as an "invention."
Human rights groups have described the system in the West Bank, where Israelis are subject to civilian law and Palestinians to military occupation and courts with restricted movement, as "apartheid." Israel has rejected this label as inaccurate.
The area around Havat Gilad exemplifies the division, with Palestinian villages located less than a mile away but separated by Israeli law, power, and hostility. Palestinians in the area noted the constant tension and fear of settler attacks.
Palestinians interviewed expressed a bleak outlook on their situation, citing global political preoccupations and internal Arab issues as reasons for a lack of international support.
Settler violence in the West Bank has been on the rise, with settlements and outposts continuing to expand.