By necessity and design, Israel's military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank is built on indirect governance, with Jewish settlers serving as intermediary agents of the Israeli state. The talk argues that Israel’s military administration lacked essential capabilities to effectively control the West Bank ‘on the ground’. To fill the gap, it enlisted the assistance of the settler movement. In return, however, the state became increasingly dependent upon the services provided by settlers, and on the recruits, they provided for the Israeli Defense Forces. State dependence increased the bargaining position of the settlers and allowed for an increasing influence over Israeli politics. After setting the general framework, the talk zooms into one specific case, that is the indirect governance through/of violence. Finally, the talk will try to engage with the analogy of the Israeli Settler movement and Afrikaner nationalism and ask: How can the South African ‘moment’ inform us regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Image: Hawara checkpoint 02. 26. 2023 | Majdi Mohammed/Associated Press Photo