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Last week, during a combined speech by American leader Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israeli parliament, fellow parliamentarian Ayman Odeh and I displayed a banner urging the acknowledgment of Palestine. We were forcibly ejected from the parliamentary assembly, exposing the fragile condition of what's often portrayed as the "sole democratic state in the region". How can officials talk about regional peace while refusing to recognize a population deprived of basic freedoms and rights under long-standing military control?

The Reality in the Occupied West Bank

In no place is the deceit more evident than in the occupied West Bank. There, words of reconciliation seem remote and faint, while the frightening sounds of settler violence and terror continue loudly. More than 30 occurrences of violence by settlers against Palestinians have been documented since the unveiling of the US 20-point plan in late September, including attacks, stealing of crops, and torching of cars and belongings.

Systematic Aggression During Agricultural Period

The increase in settler terrorism is deliberate. This time signals the start of harvest seasons. More than a vital economic activity, it represents an important social and cultural moment that demonstrates endurance under military rule. Precisely for these causes, year after year settlers attack Palestinians during this crucial time. During the last year's agricultural period, human rights organizations documented 113 distinct cases of aggression, harassment, harvest-thwarting, or damage to olive trees and crops by Israeli civilians and military personnel, which occurred on territories owned by 51 Palestinian-owned villages, municipalities, and communities.

Israel's military appeared to have had a greater role in hindering the olive harvest

The human rights group also found that "Israel's security forces seemed to have played a greater part in obstructing the harvesting season". In approximately 70% of cases where entry to lands was forcibly prevented, soldiers, border guards, and settler security officials were actually present. They either directly stopped Palestinian farmers from accessing and gathering their property, or neglected to stop settlers who harassed or attacked them.

Government Backing for Colonization

This is no surprise, as the leader of the settlers' political party, Bezalel Smotrich, was named as an additional minister in the Ministry of Defence responsible for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. In Umm al-Khair, for example, a special military coordination team removed private olive plants of Palestinians, claiming missing documentation, but overlooked violations by an illegal nearby settler outpost. Last week, the Jerusalem district court decided to stop all construction in the encampment, which was built on property taken by Israel and illegally given to settlers.

Takeover Goals and International Reaction

In the occupied West Bank, colonist violence is simply a tool used by the administration to achieve practical annexation. Recently, Smotrich headed a procession of thousands of colonists in support of annexation the West Bank. He was reported as stating, "We persist to take hold with our feet of the Land of Israel with many settlers, numerous heroes, and countless of settlers who reside in this part of the land ... we must to normalize it and establish it permanently."

The colonists and their supporters in the Knesset are explicit about their intentions and goals. Why, then, do political leaders in the Western nations hesitate from substantial penalties and political actions? Smotrich was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in June, but the effect of the sanction has been minimal. He may not be permitted to go to the United Kingdom and tour the London's entertainment district, but he still maintains the ministerial power to seize lands in the West Bank. Remarkably in the declaration of sanctions, the British government emphasized they take place "in his personal capacity" only.

Global Acknowledgment and Actual Situation

If the UK government acknowledges the truth of colonist aggression and its serious consequences on Palestinian life, why does it still permit settlement produce to be marketed in markets and outlets in Britain? 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 aggressive methods? Or was the recognition an empty ploy to shut down dissenting voices in the UK, a meaningless gesture only to be implemented in the relabeling of some cartographic representations?

Pathway to True Peace

A fair resolution must respect the basic entitlements of the Palestinian population for self-recognition, sovereignty, and freedom from occupation and blockade. Only when every human being's dignity across the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea is honored can we genuinely declare reconciliation has been attained.

True resolution demands an sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel: this is the sole solution that enjoises agreement among the international community, the Palestinian national movement, and the Israeli peace advocates.

The former US president may have applied pressure on Netanyahu to stop the violence, but he probably only did so because the burden of his relationship with the pariah regime of the Israeli PM had become excessive. The mass protests throughout the globe for the liberation of Palestinian territories, and the persistent anti-government demonstrations inside Israel, are the actual factors behind this pressure.

It is due to this enormous civil movement that a truce has been agreed, the hostages released, and the people of Gaza can experience protection from annihilation. Following the truce arrangement has been signed, it is crucial to continue maintaining this pressure. The world has ignored to the violence in Gaza for many years; it must not repeat the same error in the occupied territories.