Israeli Army & Settlers Are Working Together to "Ethnically Cleanse" West Bank: Mariam Barghouti

Intensified Attacks in West Bank [00:03]

• Israeli settlers torched property in Palestinian towns over the weekend.
• This is part of a wave of violent attacks on Palestinian towns and villages.
• The attacks are described as religious and moral crimes.

  "This is a religious crime. It is a moral crime at all."

Israeli Military Raids and Palestinian Casualties [00:26]

• Israeli military forces detained over 70 Palestinians in raids.
• The arrests and attacks followed the killing of at least four Palestinians.
• Israeli settlers and soldiers opened fire on residents attempting to protect their homes.
• Two Israeli soldiers were also killed.

  "This comes as Israeli military forces Saturday detained over 70 Palestinians in raids across the occupied West Bank."

UN Condemnation and Journalist's Account [00:52]

• UN Special Rapportor on occupied Palestinian territories condemned the attacks.
• Attacks were called pogroms against defenseless civilians.
• Palestinian writer Mariam Barguti described an intensified campaign by the Israeli army and settlers.
• The justification used was the killing of two Israeli settlers raiding a Palestinian village.

  "So, what we saw over the weekend was um an intensified campaign against Palestinians by the Israeli army and Israeli settlers, which should not be seen as separate at this point."

Collective Punishment and Imprisonment [02:21]

• The Israeli army responded by killing at least four Palestinians.
• This expanded into collective punishment, targeting the entire West Bank.
• Former detainees were targeted, tortured, and checkpoints were closed, restricting access to resources.
• Palestinians are being imprisoned in their towns and villages and attacked by forces and settlers.

  "Now, the Israeli army responded by killing at least four Palestinians and then expanded in in what is a a familiar pattern of collective punishment, targeting the entirety of the West Bank..."

Escalation of Killing and Impunity [03:00]

• At least 86 Palestinians killed in the West Bank since the year began, 20 by settlers.
• Hundreds more wounded, according to the UN.
• Israel has received impunity, especially in Gaza.
• Israeli settlers act as an addendum to Israeli military practices.

  "So what we're seeing is that there is an escalation of killing Palestinians."

Expansionist Project and Hostile Environment [03:58]

• The issue is territory and forcible takeover through violent attacks.
• These attacks create a hostile environment for Palestinians, making their presence unsustainable.
• Daily routines must be recalibrated to account for Israeli violence.

  "And this comes with an expansionist project. So, the issue right here is territory, and it is being um enforced and taken over forcibly through these violent attacks..."

Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing [05:05]

• Events in the West Bank cannot be divorced from Gaza and Jerusalem.
• This is described as another form of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
• In Gaza, it's obliteration of cities and families; in the West Bank, it's through settler, military, and judicial systems.
• The goal is the "greater Israel" project, a colonial regime engaging in crimes against humanity.

  "Now what we are seeing is another form um of of genocide and ethnic cleansing."

Targeting Journalists and Information [06:00]

• The Israeli regime targets journalists, killing them or using mass detention and terrorizing campaigns.
• This includes targeting family members, invading homes, and violating sources.
• Targeting information is dangerous, as it hinders documentation and testimony.
• Israeli organizations call for immediate international pressure to stop attacks and protect Palestinians.

  "So the the Israeli regime is targeting journalists, killing them in on the one end. Likewise in Lebanon and in in the West Bank, what we're seeing is targeting them through mass detention as well as terrorizing campaigns."