The settlers’ impunity

EDITORIAL: The latest orgy of violence unleashed by Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank is yet another reminder that settler terrorism has become a systematic instrument of intimidation sustained by political patronage, military protection and near-total impunity. The torching on Sunday of two mosques, the desecration of these religious sites with racist graffiti, and attacks on defenceless Palestinian communities are part of a deliberate campaign to make life intolerable for Palestinians and advance the de facto annexation of the occupied territory. The burning of newly built mosques in Qusra and near Kour is particularly reprehensible. Places of worship enjoy special protection under international humanitarian law, yet these sacred spaces have repeatedly become targets of extremist settlers seeking to provoke fear and inflame religious hostility. Even more alarming is the impunity with which such violence is carried out. Time and again, violent settlers have attacked Palestinian villages under the watchful eye, or even the protection, of Israeli occupation forces. The latest confrontation near Tal reportedly involved settlers accompanied by occupation soldiers acting as security coordinators, once again blurring the line between civilian extremism and state authority. The subsequent deployment of additional occupation troops and sweeping arrests of Palestinians only highlight the bitter truth that settler violence is not only tolerated, but actively enabled. In fact, some of the country’s most senior leaders, including far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, openly advocate the annexation of the West Bank, occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, while championing the expansion of settlements widely denounced for being illegal under international law. When members of the governing coalition openly pursue territorial annexation and settlers simultaneously intensify campaigns of intimidation against Palestinian communities, it becomes increasingly clear that violence is part of a broader project to alter the demographic and political reality of the occupied territory through coercion and fear. Small wonder, then, that extremist settlers act with such confidence. Appeals for restraint, however well intentioned, ring hollow when they are not matched by meaningful efforts to hold perpetrators accountable. Expressions of concern by religious leaders, including Pope Leo and Rev. Munther Isaac, underscore the gravity of these assaults, but moral outrage alone cannot substitute for justice. The occupied West Bank today offers a stark illustration of what happens when geopolitical interests are allowed to override international law and universally accepted human rights principles. A culture of impunity has emboldened violent settlers to act with increasing brazenness. Unless this entrenched impunity is challenged through genuine accountability and sustained pressure by the United States and other Western allies of Israel, settler violence will continue to escalate, further imperilling regional stability and dousing what little hope remains for a just and lasting peace. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026.

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