I have been to the West Bank, I have seen with my own eyes how the settlers walk around with machine guns, terrorizing the native Palestinian population. They are only in the West Bank to justify a continued Israeli military presence there; and they are armed to the teeth.

Where did the settlers get their machine guns from? Where did the settlers learn that it is OK to hate Palestinians, that their presence in the OPT is justified even if it comes with the wholesale subjugation of a people? The settlers, the majority of them are trouble-makers who need to be removed from the Palestinian territories, asap.

The killing of the settlers was simply a reminder to everyone meeting in Washington that they cannot continue to ignore the democratically elected leadership of Gaza, no matter how despicable the West and Israel may find them. Most Palestinians, apparently with the exception of Mahmoud Abbas and his cronies, find all Israeli leadership to be even more despicable, more criminal and more violent than Hamas—but alas, they are left with no choice but to deal with them, no matter how many innocent Palestinians they have murdered.

Please don’t accuse me of advocating vigilante justice, because I don’t. But, those settlers are illegally squatting on Palestinian land, and the list of those responsible for what happened to them yesterday must include near the top the Israeli leadership that lured them from around the world into living in cheap, government subsidized housing with all kinds of welfare benefits so that Israel can continue its illegal military presence in the West Bank. Golda Meir said that there couldn’t be peace until the Arabs learned to love their children more than they hate Israelis… I posit that there won’t be peace until the Israelis learn to love their children more than they love the continued theft of Palestinian land.

And all of this talk of “why, why, why did Hamas do this?” Take a look at this list of settler initiated crimes against Palestinians from the last few weeks. What type of superhuman moral restraint do you expect Palestinians to continue? How long must they be intimidated by these thugs before they strike back? How long would Americans tolerate this sort of thuggish behavior before they fought back?

Jerusalem settlers assault 9 year old, parents say

Witnesses: Settlers beat 10-year-old Palestinian girl

Settlers harass family near settlement

Early morning settler attack on Palestinian family in Hebron area

Israeli Settlers Attack Families And The Military Abducts Two In Hebron

Masked settlers attack international peace activists in Hebron

Settlers Assault A Palestinian Woman In Hebron

Police: Family attacked by settlers after car crash

Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinian Farmers Near Salfit

PNI leader attacked by settlers

Witnesses: Armed settler threatens farmers

Dark days in Al Buwayra: a week of settler attacks



When Settlers Attack….Today (And Everyday) In The West Bank



Settlers Attack as a Palestinian Villagers try to Secure Water in the South Hebron Hills, Joseph Dana



East Jerusalem: Settlers Take Over Another House

Official: Settlers uproot 200 olive trees south of Nablus

Armed settler guards attack mosque in Wadi Hilweh, shots fired at Palestinian residents

Price Tag: Settlers riot after structures razed

Witnesses: Settlers raid house, burn crops

PA official: Settlers set fire to village land

Settlers Destroy Farm Lands, Troops Arrest Civilians And Invade Areas In Gaza

Israeli settlers try to seize lands in Jerusalem

Settlers torch farmland east of Nablus

Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian car

PA official: Settlers vandalize cars after Hebron shooting

Bus damaged by rocks near Nablus

Israeli army escorts 500 Jewish Israelis into controversial settlement near Nablus

Report: Israeli settlers insult prophet Muhammad