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Israel

Israeli Settler "Terrorists" Unjustly Expel West Bank Palestinians From Their Land

I am generally pro-Israel. But these actions amount to ethnic cleansing and gross violations of property rights.

Ilya Somin | 8.15.2026 6:17 PM

As a general rule, I support Israel in its conflicts with adversaries like Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. While I am no great fan of either the present Israeli government or the ideology of Zionism, Israel upholds liberal democratic values to a far greater extent than any of its enemies, and their victory would be a terrible catastrophe. Thus, I've even gone so far as to argue that it is a mistake for the Israelis to make hostage exchange deals with groups like Hamas, because doing so encourages more more terrorism.

But it is also important to remember that not all Israeli actions are just, and that Palestinian Arabs also have human rights that must be respected. This is one of those times where these points must be emphasized. Over the last few years, Israeli settlers on the West Bank have repeatedly attacked Palestinians living there, seeking to force them off their land. These actions are deeply unjust, amounting to ethnic cleansing and gross violations of private property rights. They also highlight broader dangers of ethno-nationalist claims to exclusive control over land.

The Times of Israel (a center-right Israeli publication) has a helpful overview of the recent settler violence:

Mahmoud Tubasi has not lived in his home in the village of Jalud, south of Nablus, since late July, after fleeing following weeks of settler violence…

Tubasi built the house some seven years ago on land owned by his family on the outskirts of Jalud. The property sits in Area B, where, under the Oslo Accords, Israel maintains security control while the Palestinian Authority is responsible for civilian affairs….

For nearly seven years, he and his family, including his two children and grandchildren, lived there peacefully, he said. But in April, some four months ago, settlers began targeting the home, first setting fire to it and then laying siege to Tubasi and........

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