CP of Israel MK Cassif on escalation of violence in West Bank

In a deadly incident that occurred last week in the village of Tel in the occupied West Bank, four Palestinians, a settler and an officer were killed. The incident, which Israeli media and politicians defined as a "terrorist attack," sparked another wave of violence by settlers and occupation soldiers, along with the establishment of new outposts and farms. While elected officials largely adopted the narrative presented by the settlers, Hadash MKs were the only ones who emphasized the settler violence that preceded the incident and led to its escalation. "This is the Way" spoke this week with MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash) about the reality in the occupied West Bank and the fight against settler terrorism.

Is the escalation in settler terrorism an isolated phenomenon, or part of a broader process?

One must see the broader context of the events to understand that the possibility of a broader outbreak is real. The terror belongs to the occupation, not just the settlers. The settlers operate together with the occupation forces. Sometimes it is even the same people: in the evening they come in uniform as soldiers of the GAMR (Territorial Defense), while in the morning they arrive as full-time armed settlers.

The settlers also have the complete backing of the commander of the Central Command, who is part of the settler milieu, and of course the prime minister. It is the government that finances them. In other words, this is essentially state terrorism. And since this is a state phenomenon, the expansion of resistance to it is only a matter of time. I have been warning about this for several years now but have not received a response – not from the legal advisor to the government, and certainly not from the defense ministers or senior officers.

I also petitioned the High Court of Justice following the lack of response from the legal advisor for three years. In response, she sent a letter stating that there were two detainees, and on this basis the court ruled that the petition was unnecessary. I intend to petition again, because I have not yet received an answer since May 2023, since the arson in Huwara.

You often visit Palestinian villages in the West Bank. What do you see there that the Israeli public doesn't see?

First, the establishment media is completely betraying its role and duty. It started reporting too late on settler terror, and even then barely. I contacted journalists who are considered critical, but they didn't report either. So beyond a few items, since "The Land of the Settlers," the series by Haim Yavin, who recently passed away, Israelis have not been exposed to the reality in the territories. Residents of Israel don't know, but most of them don't want to know either.

This week I traveled to the village of Umm al-Khair, for an event in memory of Odeh al-Dha'alin, who was murdered a year ago by a settler. The murderer is still roaming freely in the settlement adjacent to the village, in full view of al-Dha'alin's family and friends, in order to gouge their eyes out. What you see in the West Bank are the farms and outposts. They are under every green tree and on every hill, even though they contradict even Israeli law. Not only is there no enforcement, but on the contrary: they are being equipped and connected to infrastructure. The perpetrators of terrorism come out of the farms, and I have even seen them in action several times.

I was once sitting in Susiya with a friend and we were drinking coffee. Suddenly, a gang of about twenty masked men appeared out of nowhere and attacked the place. Dozens of Palestinian communities have already been wiped out. You travel through the territories and see empty villages, ghost villages, whose residents were forcibly expelled by settlers. This move is part of Smotrich's "decision plan." The genocide in Gaza, the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, and the coup d'état within Israel – all are components of that grand plan.  

Why did the media and the Zionist opposition parties adopt the settlers' narrative?

Part of the answer lies in the question: These are the Zionist opposition parties. Although there are differences between different approaches to Zionism, and I am in no way saying that they are all the same, still in everyone, both in power and in practice, there is an aspect of Jewish superiority. This does not have to be Jewish superiority in the spirit of racial theory, such as exists in the government and in parts of the opposition. It is political superiority, which is ultimately also found in Zionist elements who are ostensibly more liberal, and even opponents of occupation. When the perception of superiority exists, it is clear that the settler terror is accepted with relative equanimity.

I am glad that in recent months, voices have also begun to be heard from members of the "Democrats" party against settler terrorism. At the same time, we saw their shameful reactions after the difficult incident in the town of Tel. It was an attack by settlers against Palestinians, not the other way around. I very much hope that what is happening these days, which is a catastrophe that is difficult to describe, will open the eyes of many in the public. I want to believe that those who understand how serious the situation is and how cruel the occupation is, and that in the end it also harms Israel, will know who to vote for.

What needs to be done to combat settler terrorism?

First, I call for mobilization for a protective presence. A week ago, I spent a night in the village of Twani in the southern Hebron Hills, because I learned that settlers were planning to come there to "pray." In reality, they are not coming to pray. As Shulamit Aloni once said, they don't care at all whether it is Joseph's Tomb or the Tomb of the Harlot. They want to demonstrate Jewish superiority. They enjoy the support and protection of the occupation army, which allows them to riot as they please.

Fortunately, when I was present in Tavani there were no pogroms, riots or clashes. I don't know if it was because of my presence and that of other activists or for some other reason. The Palestinians live under threat, and they need protection. There is no force that can protect them better than Israeli citizens. It's sad, but it is so.

Second, we need to continue to act as a historical bloc, as defined by Gramsci. That is, not to allow hegemony to deepen, expand, and strengthen. When we act on the ground, in demonstrations, write articles and posts – we do not allow hegemony to strengthen, and even weaken it . Even if at the moment this activity is like dripping on a rock, this is what we need to continue to do everywhere: on the ground, in the Knesset, in the media, in student cells, in workplaces, everywhere. We must not stop voicing the cry of the Palestinian people, who are under murderous oppression . This is essential for the future of both peoples.