The Persistent Eradication Project
THE CLAIM: A video report from Al Jazeera (2026) highlights Israeli settlers engaged in the illegal demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank. THE EVIDENCE: The visual evidence from Al Jazeera confirms direct action by settlers against Palestinian property. However, to understand the 'illegality' and the impunity, one must look beyond the immediate act to the infrastructure that
enables it. The Israeli government itself classifies all settlements in the West Bank as illegal under international law (specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention) and has repeatedly been condemned by the UN Security Council (e.g., Resolution 2334, 2016). Despite this, the number of settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has surged from approximately 187,000 in 1993 to over 700,000 by 2024
(B'Tselem, 2024). THE CONTRADICTIONS: The term 'illegal' becomes performative when the state apparatus consistently either provides protection or turns a blind eye to the perpetrators. In 2023 alone, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented 1,229 incidents of settler violence resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage, with perpetrators rarely facing
justice. This is not arbitrary violence; it aligns with the Israeli government's long-standing objective of expanding control over Area C, which constitutes over 60% of the West Bank and falls under full Israeli military and administrative control. THE NETWORK: The link between state and settler aggression is evident. Israeli settlements are heavily subsidized by the government, receiving