'We’re people of peace,' settlers defend communities amid rising West Bank violence

Since Israel took control of the West Bank in 1967, the issue of Jewish settlements has remained one of the most contentious in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

The legality of these settlements is hotly disputed, and a recent spike in settler violence has reignited global scrutiny. 

Several high-profile incidents, including alleged assaults and arson attacks, have drawn international condemnation and raised new questions about the role of Israel’s government in either encouraging or failing to prevent such acts.

On July 11, Florida-born Palestinian-American Sayafollah Musallet, known as Saif, was killed near the town of Sinjil in what his family claims was a brutal attack by Israeli settlers. “We are devastated that our beloved Sayafollah was beaten to death on our family's land by illegal Israeli settlers who were attempting to steal it,” said his cousin, Diana Musallet. The circumstances of his death are still disputed, but the incident prompted even pro-settlement voices to speak out. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a vocal supporter of the settler movement, condemned the killing as a “criminal and terrorist act.”

In response, Davidi Ben Zion, deputy head of the Shomron Regional Council, expressed rare agreement with Huckabee. “Mike Huckabee is a huge friend... And the same way that I, as a leader in this community, can say we are against this 'settler attack' I am with him,” he said.

The killing is part of a wider pattern of settler-related incidents across the West Bank. According to the United Nations, there have been 757 settler attacks this year, a 19% rise from last year. 

However, this figure includes non-violent incidents and IDF operations, leading some in the settler community to dispute its accuracy. “It’s extremely distorted,” said Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith, a former mayor of Itamar. “They take an incident or two, blow it up, and it becomes the mainstream. It’s a lie.”

Nonetheless, the growing perception that settler violence is going unchecked has been fueled by the current Israeli government, which includes ministers who live in settlements and openly advocate for full annexation of the West Bank. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has allocated record funding to settlement projects — $73 million this year alone, despite cuts to other departments amid ongoing wars. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has made similar pro-settlement moves, reinforcing the belief that the movement has government backing.

But international pushback is building. The Irish parliament is currently advancing a bill that would ban imports from the West Bank, citing what it calls apartheid-like policies, including separate legal systems for Israelis and Palestinians. This could impact businesses like the Kabir Winery in Elon Moreh. Its co-owner, Eliyav Hillel, said he’s not worried about Ireland's stance, most of his exports go to the U.S. and Canada, but his main concern remains security. “For 25 years, we haven’t employed Palestinians,” he said, recalling a deadly terror attack in Elon Moreh that killed the Gavish family. “From then on, we decided not to.”

Security concerns dominate daily life in the region. 

In March 2023, former U.S. Marine David Stern was shot in a terror attack near Huwara. Despite his injuries, he managed to return fire, killing his attacker and driving to safety. Stern lives in Alumot, an outpost not officially recognized by Israel or the international community. “There’s a certain sense of apathy, you just go on,” he said. “Sometimes I do think about it, especially with the children, but I try not to.”

Palestinian terror attacks have decreased this year, largely due to increased IDF operations, particularly under Operation Iron Wall. Still, violence has not ceased entirely. On July 10, an Israeli was killed in Gush Etzion. Yet despite the danger, Stern says he wouldn’t live anywhere else. “There’s a deep sense of purpose and mission… we are contributing in a meaningful way.”

People move to settlements for many reasons, ideology, security, affordable housing. For Rabbi Goldsmith, it’s about faith. “We are the only country with borders defined in the Bible. Our history lies in the stones,” he said, referencing sacred sites like Hebron and Nablus. “If you separate the biblical connection to the land, then we lose our identity as a people.”

For Palestinians, settlements represent land taken from them and a major obstacle to peace. Israel denies that, arguing instead that a presence in the West Bank is vital for national security. “There’s just 7 km between Kfar Saba and Qalqilya,” said Ben Zion. “We can’t allow anyone to build a terror state in the middle of Israel.”