The outlook of a settler

”If we are determined and try to tolerate one another, if we are true about living in peace we have to compromise and stop the violence in both directions, on all sides. Violence is never acceptable.”

Violence is not the first thing that comes to mind when you enter the settlement, which is guarded with heavy security. There are twenty two kindergartens, three high schools, 25 synagogues, 2 shopping malls and medical facilities. The streets are very clean, everything looks planned and there are buses going directly to Jerusalem passing us by. The houses all look the same, and an apartment costs between 150 000 to 200 000 USD, and a house goes for between 300 000 to over 1 000 000 USD. It looks like any other prosperous, gate community similar to those in other Western states, and the contrast is huge in comparison to the nearby villages. We are there as guests of Bob Lang, spokes person for the settlement.

“To the best of my knowledge none of the Gush Etzion communities have been based on private owned land. The outmost care is done to protect private land here in Israel the same cannot be said for the other side.” “When there is a private ownership the land is not taken over, and here in Judea and Samaria approximately 50 per cent is owned by private ownership, and has a deed. If there is no deed, it is constricted what you can build by the army.” 

When asked why the settlements are allowed to build, but not the nearby villagers classified since the Oslo Accords as being in Area C, Bob Lang says: “It is bureaucracy, I cannot deny or hide a political influence on the agenda. We need peace and understanding, first then will it become easier for everyone. By UN definition this is not an occupied state, understand that the last sovereign, the British by mandate handed over the land in 1948 and left. The UN said there should be a two state solution, and an international city in Jerusalem. The Arabs did not accept whilst the Jews did. A Palestinian state was not established, what you call the West Bank was taken over by Jordan and annexed, whilst Gaza was occupied by Egypt. These settlements are not on occupied land, they are not illegal, as they have been built on government owned land in accordance with accepted standards of international law. We have not taken anyone out of their land.”

When asked by an EA if he himself has ever experienced a checkpoint, the reply is swiftly “there are no checkpoints.” There is a shift in the conversation, and instead of peace, understanding and tolerance the word ‘security’ instead starts to dominate the discussion. “All of those things happen for security” says Bob, who explains that there have been two suicide bombers attempting to attack the settlement. The checkpoints have also accordingly been established to prevent suicide bombers and terrorists, and the security concerns is justified because

To hold a different perspective is not necessarily wrong, and according to Bob Lang the settlement of Efrat is not an illegal settlement breaking international law. Instead he says: “Here in Gutsh Etzion there is no question that we are a suburb to Jerusalem. You see the hill over there? It is the neighborhood of Har Gilo, and strategically a crucial location, where you on a good day can see both to the Mediterranean Sea on your left and to Jordan on your right.”  

Har Gilo is a recent settlement, and next to the village of Al Walaja. As a consequence of the settlement, the people of Al Walaja is about to be surrounded by a wall, with one gate allowing them entry and exit, and the territory is partly now incorporated in to Greater Jerusalem by the Israeli authority. Hence the Palestinian people are losing access to their land, and the freedom of movement, whilst the settlements in the Gutsh Etzion block have easy access to Jerusalem and Israel through the bypass road solemnly for their use. The people of Al Walaja hold peaceful non violent demonstrations to raise the awareness of their struggle, but the military often respond with teargas and recently a bus of Harvard students were detained.

“We need to hold this land for security reasons” says Bob, explaining why the territory of Al Walaja is so crucial.” Holding up a map of the area, Bob says: “There is no good map of Israel. Why it is not a good map you may ask? Well it includes the Golan Heights, and Israel in the context of the Middle East is not visible. It is only just a sliver of land, and Israel is not a large country.” Instead of referring to our position on the map as being in the West Bank, Bob insist on calling it: “Judea and Samaria, because by using the term the West Bank you have taken away a part of the Jewish history, and you should not deny that the Jews find this place the holiest in the world.”

“The first and most important thing for the government is to protect its people. It needs to be done better and if any human rights are violated that is not acceptable and I would like to change that.” “Anyone who is Jewish, or in fact who is Israeli can move here…the fact that you live here in Israel, means that there is certain things that come with it. There are certain things that happen in a country, because you are here in a country.”

It is this contrast between the outlook of a settler, and the meanings he fails to mention that is the biggest challenge for me during our meeting. I was so determined to understand and respect the other perspective, but it is so cold heartedly undermining the Palestinian people’s suffering. And even after our meeting I fail to understand why the land must only be exclusively precious to one people and human rights in practice only afforded to a small proportion of the people present on the land?

For me the outlook of the settler is still unsympathetic and unsettling.