Jewish Communities ARE NOT Settlements

More often than not, political and intellectual conversations surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been riddled with terms which divide, minimize, dehumanize, and delegitimize the identities and experiences of peoples on both sides, turning most conversations toxic and any attempt of reaching an understanding nearly impossible.

The objective of entering such conversations should always be to create understanding, to build relations, and to generate a shift in pop-culture for people to put in the work to have the current status quo and oppressive realities changed to one that achieves justice for both Peoples.

There are many terms that are being used by individuals who seek to use their energies to attack the other side rather than transcending the conflict. One of these terms that have become mainstream is the term “settlement” when speaking of Jewish communities.

A “settlement” in this political context implies that the Jewish People living in Israel or particularly in Judea & Samaria (West Bank) are “settlers” and thus foreign to the Land. Any Israeli or Palestinian community built from the River to the Sea is NOT a “settlement” since neither Israelis nor Palestinians are foreigners or settlers.

The use of this term is a clear attempt to consciously (or sometimes unintentionally) disconnect the Jewish People from the Land they are indigenous to.

What makes a community built “illegal” is not its Jewish or Arab identity, but the way in which it was built. There have been both Israeli and Palestinian communities built illegally that have been removed. Usually, such communities were built on land that was not owned by those building or the construction had taken place without proper permits. Most communities built in the Land are not “illegal” and by nature of them being Jewish or Arab doesn’t remove their legitimacy.

If one wants to talk about something done illegally, then be very specific as to what law was broken and how things should have been done differently. Applying blanket terms like “illegal” or “settlements” on communities, just because they are Jewish IS anti the Jewish People as it would be anti-Palestinian if one were to claim Palestinian communities in the Land were illegal just because they were Arab.

Words have power and if you invest your power to tear down rather than move forward, your energy is being used incorrectly.

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Video: Leibman Productions