Meet the People Fueling West Bank Violence
Israeli settler violence in the Occupied West Bank has skyrocketed since Trump took office. According to the UNHCR, at least 10 Palestinians, including a child shot in the chest by Israeli security forces, have been killed. Dozens more are injured.
But here’s the thing—this isn’t just random violence. Powerful people are driving violence to pave the way for the illegal annexation of the West Bank, and they’re doing it with zero accountability.
THE KEY PLAYERS
1) President Donald Trump - The Enabler
One of Trump’s first moves as president? Lifting sanctions on Israeli settlers who attack Palestinians in the West Bank. Axios reports that this was something the Israeli government demanded in exchange for agreeing to a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza.
While the sanctions were in place, the Biden administration targeted 17 individuals and 16 organizations, including Amana, a group that helps build illegal settlements.
Lawmakers said Amana and another group, Regavim—co-founded by far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich—were behind over 1,270 attacks on Palestinians in just one year. That’s an average of three violent attacks per day.
And here’s the kicker—Amana has around $160 million in assets, funding illegal outposts and forcing Palestinian families off their land. One Palestinian resident of the West Bank told the BBC that settlers constantly harassed them, chasing their goats off land they had used for decades.
Sanctions made it harder for U.S. and Israeli banks to do business with these groups, and Americans couldn’t legally donate to them. But lifting the sanctions? It’s open season.
2) Mike Huckabee – The Insider
Trump’s pick for U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has deep ties to Amana. This is the guy who once said Palestinians aren’t even real people—so it’s no surprise he headlined an Amana fundraiser in December.
And guess what? Amana’s top leaders were front and center at Trump’s inauguration. Yisrael Ganz, who runs Amana and leads the Yesha Council (a major settler group), was spotted at Trump’s post-inaugural celebration.
3) Bezalel Smotrich – The Architect
Smotrich has laid the groundwork for taking over the West Bank for years. He’s been:
- Withholding tax money from the Palestinian Authority to weaken their infrastructure.
- Seizing thousands of acres of Palestinian land.
- Pushing settlement expansion.
He stuck with Netanyahu’s government—even though he was against the ceasefire—because he knew Trump would clear the way for annexation. And now? With no sanctions holding him back, he’s wasting no time.
4) Elise Stefanik – The Fixer
Annexing the Wes Bank is illegal under international law, but Trump has that covered, too. He’s nominated Elise Stefanik as U.S. ambassador to the UN—someone who openly claims Israel has a “biblical right” to the land.
As a permanent UN Security Council member, the U.S. can veto any resolution that holds Israel accountable. Meaning? Israel gets a free pass to keep doing whatever it wants in the West Bank.
