"B'Tselem": Settler Violence is a Daily Reality Affecting the Lives of Millions of Palestinians

Yuli Novak, executive director of B'Tselem, describes settler violence in the West Bank as a daily reality affecting millions of Palestinians, based on the organization's report "The Erasure Project," which relied on over two thousand testimonies. She criticizes the separation between Israel and the occupation, describes the settlement project as settler colonialism, and calls for a political system based on freedom and equality.

Yuli Novak, executive director of B'Tselem, stated that settler violence in the West Bank, including displacement, home burnings, uprooting of olive trees, and killings, is no longer a series of isolated incidents but has become a daily reality affecting the lives of millions of Palestinians. She noted that the details of daily life for approximately three million Palestinians—from difficulty accessing schools and workplaces to night raids and arrests—remain out of sight. Novak relied on B'Tselem's report titled "The Erasure Project," which drew on over two thousand testimonies and studies of Israeli policies. She criticized the narrative that separates Israel from the occupation, describing the settlement project as "settler colonialism" aimed at establishing a permanent presence and imposing control. She called for envisioning a different political system based on freedom, equality, and security for all residents.