Violence in the West Bank: “It’s a state project”

taz: Mr. Dvir, the human rights organization B'tselem recently published a report on the situation in the West Bank. He speaks of “ethnic cleansing” in the occupied territory. How do you determine that?

Yair Dvir: In recent years, even before October 7, Israel has driven 74 Palestinian communities from their land through settler militia and military violence, house demolitions and movement restrictions. Our report identifies these ethnic cleansings and the Israeli takeover of Palestinian land as key mechanisms for eliminating a cohesive Palestinian society. Added to this are economic strangulation, violence and killings, restrictions on movement and attacks on social and political institutions.

Yair Dvir: These are not just isolated acts of violence by settlers. It is a government project. Their aim is to herd Palestinians into increasingly isolated and shrinking enclaves. At the same time, it is intended to expand and consolidate permanent Israeli control over the entire West Bank.

is spokesman for the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem.

taz: What specific solutions do you propose to stop violence against Palestinians and at the same time protect Israelis from possible terrorist attacks?

Yair Dvir: As long as the system in this region is based on the concept of Jewish Israeli supremacy and the idea that there is only room for one community here, the violence will continue to worsen. The Palestinians are the main victims of this system, but life is also becoming increasingly unbearable for Jewish Israelis.

The only way to achieve true security for all is to abolish the apartheid regime. And to replace it with a democratic system based on freedom, equality and justice for all people living here. Security cannot be achieved through the violent oppression and extermination of a people.

Yair Dvir: Our report does not prescribe a precise political or diplomatic solution. He describes today's reality and the political project that Israel is advancing in the West Bank. This means, again, the elimination of Palestinian collectivity through the destruction of the material, social and political foundations that enable it to continue to exist as a society. While all space is brought under Israeli control.

This is not a warning about the future. This elimination is happening now, before our eyes. Israel is creating facts on the ground that are becoming increasingly difficult to reverse.

taz: Is this Israeli approach that you describe a consequence of the massacre by Palestinian militias on October 7, 2023?

Yair Dvir: This logic has shaped Israeli politics since the founding of the state. Israel has long worked to establish Jewish control over the entire territory.

However, under the current government, especially since October 7th, we have entered a new phase. Long-standing political measures are now happening faster, more violently and more uninhibitedly. The old barriers are gone and the project of taking over the West Bank is moving forward in a more systematic and open manner.

Senior Israeli politicians no longer even try to hide the goal. Some describe this time as a historic opportunity, a “miracle” that allows them to advance their “vision.” And the international community makes this possible.

taz: What does B'Tselem now expect from the international community?

Yair Dvir: The international community knows what is happening in the West Bank. The question is whether she is ready to move from condemnation to consequences. Political, military, economic and diplomatic support makes it possible for Israel to continue like this. Governments must stop enabling these crimes and use the tools of international law to protect Palestinians.