Credit: Massafering

“In the West Bank, settlers are creating an atmosphere of fear that’s far more effective than violence.” – Sahar Vardi, Coordinator of Shatil’s OPT Activists Support Program

In 2023, Shatil launched the OPT Activists Support Program to support Israeli activists who serve as the last line of defense against the government’s moves to bolster settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT).

With the government advancing de facto annexation and then the outbreak of war, the past year saw a staggering rise in violence against Palestinians and Israeli activists in the West Bank. Since October 7, Shatil’s program has documented 840 incidents of violence committed by the IDF and settlers. These include multiple instances in which armed settlers, virtually indistinguishable from IDF soldiers, storm Palestinian villages, order residents to leave within 24 hours, and threaten to kill them if not. These “settler-soldiers,” have been recruited to reserve duty for the war, and using their IDF uniforms to signal authority, wreak havoc on villages near their home settlements, with little to no intervention by the military or police. In the past eight months, at least 16 Palestinian communities have self-evacuated—that is, abandoned their homes—out of fear of these attacks.

To make matters worse, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir recently launched a new police task force responsible for targeting left-wing activists working in the West Bank, further endangering activists and Palestinians alike. This task force is the latest symptom of the governing coalition’s approach to violent settlers: under Ben Gvir, settlers are granted immunity. The state refuses to hold settlers accountable for violence and simultaneously persecute those working to protect Palestinian from that violence. 

“The use of intimidation is very effective because the threat of violence comes with impunity,” said Sahar Vardi, coordinator of the OPT Activists Support Program. “The majority of displacements occur, not because someone is beaten up, but because they’ve been threatened enough times to be afraid of what will happen if they stay.”   

Facing these immense challenges, Shatil teaches activists to respond by using what is called “protective presence”. Activists show up during violent incidents or when tensions between Palestinians and settlers or the army escalate, as a means of mitigating and documenting violence as well as providing support.

“Protective presence isn’t just about documenting and preventing violence,” Sahar explained. “It’s about being with people when they’re threatened because physical support decreases the effectiveness of a threat.”

Activists either work in pre-scheduled shifts, accompanying shepherds as they tend their land, or station themselves throughout the West Bank and wait for calls about attacks. Upon arrival, activists document violence and their own actions, such as calling the police or negotiating with the IDF. Activists also record the response from Israeli authorities and immediately inform their lawyers to ensure data isn’t lost or destroyed.

The Program also provides comprehensive support for activists including networking, trainings, mental health services, and legal aid. Among the Program’s recent offerings were workshops on de-escalation and self-defense. 

Activists are already putting the skills learned into action, both in the OPT and within Israel. During this year’s Pride March in Jerusalem, for example, on two separate occasions, the Shatil-coordinated Anti-Occupation Bloc encountered aggressive counter-protesters who screamed and cursed the group, attempting to stop them from participating in the march. At first, Bloc members shouted back, eliciting police involvement. However, the second time, a Bloc member implemented skills she learned from a de-escalation workshop and instead engaged the group in conversation. The result was successful: the counter-protesters became engrossed in dialogue, and the Bloc continued marching undeterred.

NIF’s new Future Vision program—which aims to “block” moves toward entrenching the occupation and “build” a diplomatic solution to the conflict that advances a progressive vision for Israel’s future based on peace, democracy, and justice—encompasses this work, which we know is the only way to bring about a brighter future.”