Palestinian expert Ahmed Rafiq Awad stated that the spread of electoral banners for Israeli candidates in the occupied West Bank represents a "visual normalization" aimed at entrenching settlements and annexing Palestinian lands to Israel, rather than being merely a transient electoral activity. Awad pointed out in an interview with the Anadolu Agency that this scene aims to solidify the perception that the occupied lands are a natural extension of Israel, thereby weakening the political borders established by the Oslo Accords.
In the same context, Awad clarified that the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank ranges between 700,000 and 800,000, belonging to various political currents, the majority of which lean towards religious Zionist and right-wing parties. He added that this reality explains the spread of electoral propaganda, as Israeli parties seek to woo this bloc, which represents an important electoral reservoir, since their choices are linked to the parties' stances on the future of settlements and the West Bank.
For his part, Awad emphasized that settlers are no longer on the periphery of Israeli decision-making but have become at its center, with their representatives holding influence within governance institutions, as well as judicial, security, and media systems. He noted that religious, Haredi, and right-wing parties compete for settlers' votes due to their weight in electoral calculations, and that electoral competition is linked to the future of the West Bank and the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.
Awad pointed out that extreme right-wing parties promote the idea that not electing them could pave the way for the establishment of a Palestinian state, reflecting the centrality of the settlement file in Israeli political polarization. Regarding settler terrorism, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority reported that the army and settlers committed 409 attacks against olive farmers since the beginning of October, with settlers carrying out 317 attacks and the army 92 attacks.
Awad added that approximately 750,000 settlers reside in 156 settlements and 360 outposts in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, committing attacks aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians. International human rights institutions accuse Israeli authorities of turning a blind eye to these attacks, while the international community warns that settlements undermine the chances of establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Comments (0)