The Settlers and the Ceasefire

Today there are more than half a million Israelis living in illegal settlements built on Palestinian land. Most of these Israelis were drawn to the settlements by cheap home prices, but a significant number are vocal ideologues motivated by the concept of “Eretz Israel” or Greater Israel. When using the term settler in this post, I’m referring to this latter group. The settlers advocate for the expansion of Israel’s borders including the annexation of the West Bank, which many Israeli Jews refer to as “Judea and Samaria”, and since 7 OCT 2023 the reoccupation of Gaza. Since the 1970s, the settlers have been an influential constituency in Israel and have consistently demonstrated their ability to influence Israeli elections and policy. Over the next six weeks, the settlers will likely seek to undermine the current ceasefire and any attempt to extend the agreement to phases two or three.