u/Bulky_Imagination243

Over these past few weeks, the topic of Israeli settlers has come up frequently once again—how truly terrifying and dangerous many of them are. They really are the perfect definition of mindless; I believe most of us can agree on that. They are excessively violent and extremist, and to make matters worse, many move around in groups—clearly because they cannot stand their ground on their own. It genuinely pleases me to see them being exposed the way they are, because they deserve it, and because these people represent the very worst side of Israeli society.

The international outrage this issue is generating seems perfectly justified to me, and I hope the true face of these settlers in the occupied territories continues to be revealed, along with the impunity these people usually enjoy. Yet at the same time, it does not surprise me in the least—they have always been this way, always this malicious. They should not even be called settlers; they are invaders who kill, steal, occupy, beat, kidnap, and humiliate. They love harming innocent civilians and acting tough and menacing toward civilians—and I am certain that if they came face to face with someone from Hamas, the vast majority would be shaking in their boots. History itself has proven this with events such as what took place in Huwara in 2023, or when they abducted, beat, and burned alive a sixteen-year-old Palestinian boy in 2014. They act with cruelty, cynicism, and often complete impunity—all of which deserves to be documented.

We must also point out Israel’s current government—this “charming” government that includes such “kind and upstanding” individuals as Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, truly wonderful people. Over the past three years, settler violence has skyrocketed; there are ever more expulsions of Palestinians and more illegal settlements—all backed by the Israeli government itself.

October 7th, 2023 marked the moment when many pro-Israel voices sought to impose a narrative of good versus evil, framing Israel as the country that had been attacked and Palestinians as the aggressors. It is staggering how October 7th erased Israel’s violence in the preceding months and imposed the portrayal of Israel as a virtuous nation that represents Western values in a turbulent region like the Middle East, ignoring Israel’s violence throughout those earlier months.

Before October 7th, Israel had killed dozens of Palestinians, including young children. It had seized more land and expanded illegal settlements. It had been permissive toward settler violence, whose perpetrators committed shameful acts such as what took place in Huwara in 2023. Israel had forcibly displaced thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank. Before October 7th, Israel had taken the lives of more innocent Palestinians than Hamas had of Israelis—and after October 7th, Israel has taken the lives of vastly more innocent people.