South African Jews for a Free Palestine

Settlers move into Palestinian homes on the outskirts of Jericho, a Palestinian city in the West Bank. If they stay, their presence will have devastating consequences for the city residents. The IDF has already sent three platoons to guard the settlers. As settlements pop up or expand, they also draw in a heavy military deployment, while new or larger “security buffer zones” appear. These zones are areas near settlements that Palestinians are barred from entering without the IDF’s permission. If the security buffer extends onto private Palestinian land, as it often does, Palestinians would be forced to navigate a complex bureaucratic system each time they seek access. Constant military deployment would also subject Palestinians to intensified repression: more checkpoints, more arrests, more home invasions at night, and more searches on the streets. Additionally, as settlements expand, Palestinians living in their vicinity face an increased risk of becoming the next targets of ethnic cleansing by their new neighbors. According to IDF leaks reported in the Israeli media, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the IDF commander responsible for the entire West Bank, was directly involved in assisting the settlers in Jericho. He allegedly knew about the settlers’ plans and even instructed them not to inform local military officers until after they had moved in. Both the IDF and Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth later denied the allegation, but it remains an indisputable fact that there are settlers in Jericho, protected by the IDF. Moreover, the IDF is known to have a special unit dedicated to coordinating the establishment of settler farms. Avi Bluth, who established this unit, famously declared that these farms, which have been responsible for the ethnic cleansing of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank, are part of the IDF’s doctrine. How does bringing settlers into a Palestinian city contribute to Israeli security, you may ask? It absolutely does not. The real goal is ethnic cleansing and the annexation of the West Bank, which will only lead to more violence. The only way to ensure security for everyone living between the river and the sea is to end the occupation.