A settler’s justification: one life, 10 million
Yehuda Shimon, a lawyer who works for an Israeli group representing settlers accused of violent acts against Palestinians, gave a shocking explanation for a recent wave of settler attacks on West Bank villages. In an interview with the BBC at the illegal settler outpost of Havat Gilad, he said the weekend violence was justified as revenge for the death of an Israeli security guard in a nearby village. His justification relied on a disturbing logic: a single Jewish life, he claimed, was worth the lives of 10 million Palestinians.
The incident that sparked the violence occurred in the village of Tal, where an Israeli guard was killed during a confrontation with Palestinians. Four Palestinians and an Israeli soldier also died, but the cause of the conflict is unclear. Despite the uncertainty, Shimon showed no hesitation in justifying the attacks. He listed several villages close to the outpost, saying all the people there needed to be punished. When asked if his views were racially charged, he did not back down. 'Yes, I know,' he said. 'But this is the truth, because God chose us.'
The outpost and the land it claims
Havat Gilad is unlike most Israeli settlements. It is not officially recognized and was built without permission or legal approval. The outpost spreads across several hills, with its buildings clearly visible to nearby Palestinian towns. Last week, there was a fire near the entrance, which Shimon claimed was an act of arson by Palestinians. However, Israeli authorities have said the fire likely came from a cigarette butt tossed from a passing vehicle.
The outpost was created more than 20 years ago as a memorial to an Israeli security officer who was killed by Palestinians. But it remains legally in question. Peace Now, a local group that tracks settlements, says the Israeli government cannot officially recognize Havat Gilad because much of the land is already claimed as private Palestinian property. Instead, the government has offered a plot of nearby land for settlers to build on. Despite this, Shimon rejected all legal arguments. He claimed the land was given to Jews in the Bible, and that international law had no relevance.
A government and army in question
Shimon criticized the Israeli government and military, accusing them of being too soft on Palestinians and too influenced by international opinion. He argued that the army and government are too similar to the UN, showing restraint in violent clashes rather than using deadly force. 'Afterwards, because they don't kill Palestinians, the Palestinians kill us,' he said. But the numbers tell a different story. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only one Israeli was killed in the West Bank from the beginning of the year through July 20. In contrast, 64 Palestinians were killed in that time, with 12 of those deaths directly attributed to settler attacks.
This pattern of violence is happening in a political environment dominated by religious-nationalist leaders who support expanding settlements in the West Bank. Shimon's extreme views may seem shocking, but they are not unusual in this climate. He represents a growing belief among some Israelis that the West Bank is a divine right, and that Palestinian lives are expendable in the pursuit of Jewish control over the land. These views are central to understanding the current conflict and the rising tensions in the occupied territory.
