Academic Paper: “The Settler State” in the West Bank: From a Settlement Project to a Parallel Entity (Arabic)

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By: Thamer ‘Abdul Ghani Saba‘neh.
(Exclusively for al-Zaytouna Centre).

Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations published an academic paper entitled “The Settler State” in the West Bank: From a Settlement Project to a Parallel Entity, by Thamer ‘Abdul Ghani Saba‘neh. The paper examines the qualitative transformation experienced by Israeli settlements since 1967. These settlements have evolved from scattered population clusters into a fully integrated entity, complete with economic and security institutions, as well as councils representing political interests. They operate, it seems, with a degree of apparent autonomy from Israel within the West Bank (WB), while receiving direct support from successive Israeli governments.

The paper further emphasizes that this transformation no longer constitutes merely a challenge to Palestinians in their struggle over land and identity; it has become a direct threat to any possibility of achieving a just political settlement. The “Settler State” seeks to impose permanent facts on the ground, thereby undermining the prospects for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The significance of studying the phenomenon of the “Settler State” in the WB lies in understanding its historical roots, institutional characteristics, and political, security and social ramifications, while also exploring its potential future impact on the trajectory of the Palestinian–Israel conflict.

The paper also offered a comprehensive framework for addressing this reality through three main avenues: political, legal and popular. Politically, it called for the unification of the Palestinian position, the activation of diplomatic initiatives, the political boycott of Israel, the building of international alliances with influential states, and the strategic leveraging of the growing global public opinion in the wake of the war on Gaza Strip (GS). On the legal front, the paper emphasized the necessity of filing cases before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), activating the principle of universal jurisdiction, and establishing specialized legal centers to systematically monitor and document every act of settlement expansion, transforming them into ready legal dossiers. It further advocated efforts to annul agreements that indirectly legitimize settlement activity, such as European trade agreements with Israeli companies operating in the settlements. In terms of the popular dimension, the paper called for the strengthening of nonviolent popular resistance, the implementation of land-protection projects, the support of boycott campaigns, and the documentation of violations in foreign languages for international awareness. It also recommended reinforcing residential and educational infrastructure in areas under threat of confiscation, and mobilizing progressive and pro-Palestinian Jewish voices as part of an international pressure campaign.

The paper concludes that addressing the “Settler State” requires a comprehensive Palestinian, Arab and international vision. This approach should go beyond merely rejecting settlements on legal grounds and instead focus on developing practical strategies to curb their expansion and expose their colonial character, with the ultimate aim of achieving justice and freedom for the Palestinian people.