DayofPal—An opinion article published on Haaretz, by activist and writer Jonathan Pollak, contends that attacks against Palestinians should not be described as “settler violence,” revealing instead that it constitutes Israeli state violence carried out through both official forces and civilian militias.
The article documents a series of attacks in the occupied West Bank and 1948-occupied Territories, describing coordinated actions between Israeli settlers, armed civilians, and the military.
Among the cases cited is the killing of 13-year-old Amar Hamayel in the village of Kafr Malik, where witnesses say Israeli soldiers shot the boy from behind and prevented medical aid from reaching him for hours.
Two days later, more than 100 Israelis reportedly raided the village, burning homes and vandalizing property, while Israeli forces allegedly killed three residents who attempted to defend the area.
Pollak also recounts attacks during the olive harvest season near Beita, where soldiers and armed civilians confronted Palestinian farmers, injuring at least 20 people, including journalists, and setting vehicles on fire.
Another case involved the death of 13-year-old Aysam Mualla, who suffocated after soldiers fired tear gas at his family and delayed an ambulance from reaching him.
Further attacks described include night raids on the village of Al-Mughayyer, attacks on the Abu Hamam family by masked assailants from a nearby settler outpost, and the subsequent obstruction and arrest of paramedics by Israeli soldiers.
The article also highlights an attack in Jaffa against a pregnant Palestinian woman and her children, framing it as part of a broader campaign of intimidation against the city’s Palestinian residents.
According to Pollak, these incidents reflect a consistent pattern in which Israeli security forces protect or cooperate with civilian attackers, while Palestinians and international activists face arrests, movement restrictions, and closed military zones.
He argues that the violence is not the work of isolated extremists but the implementation of a long-standing policy aimed at displacing Palestinians.
The article concludes that the West Bank is not governed by a separate or exceptional system, asserting that “from the sea to the river,” one authority and one legal reality prevail.
In this framing, Pollak maintains that violence against Palestinians, whether by soldiers, police, or settlers, is an integral feature of the Israeli state rather than an aberration at its margins.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=70644
