https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-extreme-ambitions-of-west-bank-settlers
Highly revealing Q&A from a settlement leader in the West Bank, emphasising that when we condemn Hamas, it takes two sides to play a zero-sum game.
Settlements are discussed curiously here by some people. Like of course, they’re seen as not ideal, they’re not great, but they’re completely disconnected from our understanding of the policies of ‘Israel’ (as opposed to the hardline Israeli government of Netanyahu). It’s akin to trying to understand the actions and policies of ‘the UK’ in the past decade without once mentioning the people or party in power.
Reminder:
In December 2022 Netanyahu put settler expansion at the top of his government’s priorities. And in June this year, it passed a controversial resolution Sunday that gives practically all control over planning approval for construction inWest Bank settlements to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultranationalist advocate of settlements (mentioned in the article).