How the International Community Contributed to the Ferocity of Israeli Settlers

By Mohamad Alqeeq

“We do for the governments what they can’t do for themselves. Even if you talk to Netanyahu now, he is very happy with what we do here and also about our plans, but he can’t say it.”

— Daniella Weiss, Israeli settler leader, in a BBC documentary

Daniella Weiss, a prominent leader of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, boasted in a BBC interview about her role in expanding illegal settlements and escalating settler attacks against Palestinians in clear violation of international law.

In March 2025, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts in founding “Jewish communities.” Her comments highlight the close ties between settlers and the Israeli government, unsurprising, given that senior ministers such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir themselves live in illegal West Bank settlements.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu frequently frames Israel as Europe’s protector, portraying it as a “democratic state” defending Western civilization from the “Arab jungle”, a narrative he has promoted internationally, including in addresses to the European public, during WWI centenary events, and in speeches to the US Congress.

In 2016, Israel’s housing minister urged expanding West Bank settlements to absorb newly arrived French colonizers, a plan aligned with efforts by the Jewish Agency for Immigration to bring 100,000 colonizers to Israel, in blatant violation of international law. Netanyahu, then prime minister, traveled to France with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to promote this “immigration policy.”

Successive Israeli governments have pursued the same approach, often at the direct expense of Palestinians. In his book A Place Under the Sun, Netanyahu described a Palestinian state as a “mortal danger” to Israel, insisting the West Bank and Jordan Valley are central to Israel’s national security.

These statements and policies from settler leaders, government officials, and Israeli institutions have gone largely unchecked by the international community, which has failed to uphold international law, protect the peace process, or secure Palestinian sovereignty.

Lip Service and Double Standards

The weakness of the international response has emboldened extremist Israelis to intensify land annexation and expulsion efforts. Examples include:

• Empty declarations: The Palestinians have received countless statements from the EU, US, and UK affirming their rights, but no concrete action to stop settler attacks or enforce EU pledges of accountability.
• Sanctions lifted: The US removed sanctions on settlers and hosted Smotrich and Ben-Gvir despite their residence in illegal settlements, encouraging further violence.
• No accountability: Ignoring recommendations from the ICJ and ICC has reinforced Israel’s perception of being above the law, fueling settler and military aggression.
• Hosting wanted officials: The US and EU member states, including Hungary, hosted Netanyahu despite the ICC arrest warrant against him.
• Economic support: Settlement factories export goods worldwide, bolstering settler power, while the BDS movement has been outlawed in several countries, silencing Palestinian advocates.
• Narrative control: Palestinian voices are censored while Israeli army and settler propaganda spreads unchecked.
• Direct funding: EU, UK, and US governments facilitate support for settler organizations while blocking aid to Palestinians, reinforcing policies of ethnic cleansing and displacement.
• Diplomatic cover: The cancellation of a UN two-state solution conference was a direct blow to Palestinian rights and an implicit endorsement of settler goals.
• Trade protection: The EU’s refusal to suspend its trade and cooperation agreement with Israel legitimizes settlement expansion and undermines its own credibility.

These positions have paved the way for greater coordination between the Israeli military and settlers to entrench what they call “Judea and Samaria” in the West Bank.

There is no time left for advocates of justice to save both Gaza, a victim of genocide, and the West Bank, a victim of systematic annexation.

Preserving humanity and morality depends on an international community that, so far, has preferred double standards over decisive action, effectively granting Israel a license for impunity.