Violence involving Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank is drawing growing scrutiny. For Palestinians facing attacks on their homes, families and livelihoods, there's little hope that the election will bring change.
Merzouk Abu Naim, a local resident, said Israeli settlers have taken everything from him, first his livestock, then his olive trees.
Five months ago, Merzouk Abu Naim's son was shot dead by a settler while trying to rescue students from a school under attack. A 14-year-old student was also killed, and others were injured. Still grieving his son, Abu Naim is struggling to survive.
"We used to have 43,000 dunams of land. Today, we have only 1,000 dunams left. That's all. The settlers have taken control of the rest with the help of the Israeli army. The settlers aren't acting alone. This is a settlement policy designed to drive people from their land by killing and stealing our livestock and destroying the trees. We can't even harvest our olives anymore. Look at this olive tree -- we can't even pick its olives. Every day, settlers attack vulnerable people who are simply trying to harvest their olives," said Merzouk Abu Naim, father of a Palestinian killed by Israeli settlers.
Hundreds of front lines in West Bank are dividing residential Palestinian villages from the Israeli settlements. There have been many unprovoked attacks by settlers towards Palestinians who are trying to reach their olive trees.
In recent years, especially in the past year alone, at least seven people have died and more than 400 locals have been injured, most of them by live bullets.
Al-Mughayyir village council head Amin Mohammed Abu Aliya has been a vocal critic of settler violence and what he calls a culture of impunity.
He says Israeli soldiers detained him without charge and tortured him -- beating him for hours until he lost several teeth and consciousness.
"Talking about the Israeli government, if someone tries to complain against the settlers, they would arrest the one who complains. For example, a group of settlers would attack a house, break things around, even try to burn it down, and if the house owner tries to bring the kids out or defend his family and himself, the army would immediately arrive and surround the house, then arrest the house owner as if he is the criminal," he said.
Settler violence has become an election issue in Israel, with opposition leaders accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to confront what they call "settler terrorism."
But for Palestinians here, hopes for change remain slim.
"From our experience with Israeli governments and political parties, they don't differ when it comes to controlling, killing and oppressing the Palestinian people. The only thing they disagree on is the means used to kill us -- whether carried out by an Israeli soldier or a settler. We don't expect anything from a change in leadership, whether it is the same one or a new elected one," Amin Mohammed Abu Aliya said.
Until then, Palestinians across the West Bank will remain at the mercy of armed settlers, determined to drive them from their homes and lands by making their lives unbearable.
Violence involving Israeli settlers in West Bank draws growing scrutiny
