Rep. Madeleine Dean on West Bank Settler Expansion and Violence

Unprecedented Settler Expansion

• 📌 The West Bank is experiencing unprecedented settlement expansion, including retroactive legalization of previously illegal outposts and authorization of new settlements.
• 📈 In August, the Israeli government approved over 3,000 housing units in Ewan, near East Jerusalem.

Rising Settler Violence

• ⚠️ October 2025 marked the highest level of settler violence in the West Bank on record, with 264 attacks, including lethal ones against American citizens.
• ⚖️ Between 2005 and 2024, 93% of concluded cases of settler violence resulted in no indictments.

Impact on Palestinian Authority

• 📉 Israeli actions in the West Bank discredit the Palestinian Authority, making it appear weak and subservient to the Israeli government.
• 📉 Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has a low approval rating of about 13%, struggling to deliver tangible results for Palestinians.

Denial and Religious Justification

• 🗣️ Leading members of the Israeli coalition and opposition leaders have denied the existence of settler violence and expansion, often dismissing it as the actions of "rogue actors."
• 📖 A minority within the West Bank believes there is a religious justification for terrorizing Arabs, citing passages from the Bible.

International Parallels and Principles

• 🌍 Comparisons are drawn to other territorial conflicts like Russia-Ukraine, highlighting the importance of defending sovereignty.
• 🇺🇸 The 1956 Suez crisis is referenced, where the U.S. pushed back against allies to uphold international principles against aggression, suggesting consistency is key to defending sovereignty.