Introduction

PM Netanyahu and many other senior Israeli politicians mourned the slaying of Ari Fuld, a father of 4, outside a shopping center.

https://www.facebook.com/Netanyahu/photos/a.10151681566507076/10155849858982076/?type=3&theater

Fuld, who lived in Efrat, was killed by a Palestinian-Arab terrorist.

Palestinian-Arab terrorism is often “justified”  by using “illegal settlement” rhetoric.

This is the case even in English- language publications and possibly even more so in Arab language statements not analyzed herein.

It seems that some Palestinian-Arabs feel that they are entitled to kill “illegal settlers”.

See Appendix A below, with quotes from Arab public figures suggesting, and sometimes strongly implying, that it is acceptable to kill “illegal” settlers, and related quotes.

See Appendix B, with 3 quotes about Efrat being an “illegal settlement” — all from last month.

Fuld who died this week, was a resident of “illegal” Efrat.

The Western world’s still tolerates this “justification” for slaying Jewish civilians:

Despite the risk to hundreds of thousands of civilian “settlers”, like Fuld who died this week, and including children,  the Western world continues to condone or even disseminate “illegal settler” rhetoric, to varying degrees.

European Union:

As is well known, the European Union uses “illegal settlement” language frequently, as a major motif.

United Nations:

The same is true of the United Nations.

United States:

At least one agency in the United States Government remains committed to “illegal settlement” positions.

Prominent Americans (and Israelis) have expressed concern and indignation about this situation for many years, including to the present (Trump) administration.

The situation has not yet been taken up by the Trump administration.

Israel:

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its embassies and consulates, the Government Press Office and, most recently, the Ministry for Jerusalem Affairs explicitly reject the “illegal settlement” concept.

Their position is backed by an official Government of Israel decision voted upon pursuant to the Levy report by Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy and others which stated settlements are legal.

Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Danny Ayalon began refuting “settlement illegality” rhetoric as early as 2011 (https://www.facebook.com/DannyAyalon).

Senior experts in international law support Israel’s position that settlements are legal.

Any  sovereign state has the full sovereign right to hold by any legal approach within the spectrum of respectability.

Therefore,   there is no question that Israel has the right to hold that settlements are fully legal.

Similarly, there is no question that Western countries can and should abandon their unhelpful and dangerous “settlement illegality” rhetoric.

Appendix A

Quotes (Abbreviated) from Arab sources suggesting it is acceptable to kill “illegal” settlers, and related quotes.

Palestinian resistance fighters kill illegal Israeli settler

DAMASCUS, SYRIA (11:50 P.M)- Palestinian resistance fighters fired upon a  Israeli settler shuttle bus, killing a 35 year old, well known settler.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/palestinian-resistance-fighters-kill-illegal-israeli-settler/

Sammy Nijem was appointed Vice President of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)

at City University of New York (CUNY), for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Nijem is a sophomore at John Jay, majoring in Law and Society.

On October 28, 2015, Nijem said that “Western society will label individuals as ’terrorists’ because they are carrying out acts of violence against ILLEGAL settlers,

However, I and the rest of the world who are by Palestine’s side see these victims as martyrs because they are resisting.”

https://canarymission.org/individual/Sammy_Nijem

Fatah central committee member Jibril Rajoub, interview broadcast by Iranian Al-Alam TV network, February 3, 2014:

“by international law, we have the right to conduct any form of resistance. I’m telling you that there must not be bus bombings in Tel Aviv.

But we have 400,000 settlers. What are these people doing among us?

According to international law, these [settlements] are illegal. These people will not enjoy security, peace, or stability,

as long as occupation and Judaization continue.” https://www.memri.org/reports/fatah-central-committee-member-rajoub-iranian-tv-armed-resistance-still-table

According to International Law, it is clear that Israeli settlers illegally occupy the land on which they live.

Regardless of whether it was their own initiative to participate in illegal colonies or not, the settlers are committing a crime.

The key question is; are settlers, who are actively committing a crime, to be classed as a “civilian”?

If illegal settlers inside the West Bank, are Palestinians to be condemned for violent acts of resistance against settlers?

This answer will depend upon, whether you believe in international law and morality or not.

(pictures of young mothers with stereotypical “settler” appearance, walking along in a group, some holding babies)

https://www.mintpressnews.com/should-israeli-settlers-be-considered-civilians/239770/

Mintpress is a Minnesota-based news website.  In 2016, Yahoo removed MintPress News from its news feed, saying, “MintPressNews does not uphold the editorial standards of Yahoo and was immediately blocked”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MintPress_News

Mashaal: We’ll continue to kill illegal settlers

https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Mashaal-Well-continue-to-kill-illegal-settlers

Recent decisions passed by the Israeli Occupation (which) have accelerated the building of illegal Israeli settlements and formation of an administrative council for illegal settlers  will lead to dire consequences.

Hamas calls upon the Palestinian people to confront and thwart the schemes of the Israeli Occupation with all possible means.

http://hamas.ps/en/post/943/press-release-concerning-illegal-settlers-increased-authority-in-west-bank

What if your family’s ancestral olive groves were  burned by illegal settlers? Would you fire rockets at their iron dome?

The Right to Resist

We choose resistance, always, in all its forms.

https://lithub.com/palestinian-resistance-an-icon-for-those-who-long-to-live-free/

Palestinian protesters in east Jerusalem are angry at the illegal settlers in the neighborhood of Silwan.

Jibril Rajoub said that the illegal settlements will  “lead to an explosion,” speaking from Ramallah.

Walid Obeidat, said that peace would be threatened by Jewish settlement (because”  “All such acts are incompatible with international law and if allowed to continue will ultimately imperil the treaty” .

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Israel-to-Illegally-Build-1000-More-Settler-Homes-20141027-0031.html

Your illegal settlers are ensuring facts on the ground. We have nothing left to do but to fight.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/inside-the-mind-of-israelpalestine

Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Tuesday issued a report on the Israeli Annexation Wall. The report started off by noting the illegitimacy of the Wall pointing out that it allegedly protects illegal settlers.

http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=CUT0tha21688547364aCUT0th

The Socialist Alliance recognises the ongoing resistance of Palestinians to the Israeli occupation until it meets its obligations under international law.

https://socialist-alliance.org/policy/international-solidarity-middle-east/palestine

illegal settlers have opted to colonise Palestinian land If settler children are “exposed to grave injuries”, clarify the Israeli state’s culpability, while placing accountability for protection upon the same political actors.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20180802-playing-with-words-and-childrens-lives-in-occupied-palestine/

The Army regularly invade Azzun, accusing young boys of throwing stones on the road at illegal settlers.

SFP will continue to support all prisoners.

We kindly ask all our international friends to maintain pressure on their respective representatives to hold Apartheid Israel responsible for its war crimes, particularly the illegal imprisonment of Palestinian prisoners.

https://solidaritymovementsfp.wordpress.com/2014/02/page/3/

Defense News’ Israel bureau chief Barbara Opall- Rome said media generally use the term “terrorism” to denote acts of violence against unarmed civilians,

it should not be extended to kidnapping Gilad Schalit or attacks against uniformed soldiers and policemen.

“We do not consider that acts of terror, because the victims were in uniform”.

re: the stabbing of Dafna Meir, a mother of six brutally murdered in her home:

“The fact that she lives in [the settlement of] Otniel blurs the lines”Opall-Rome continued.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/AP-bureau-chief-Israeli-media-criticism-of-foreign-press-verges-on-incitement-445659

A male adult Palestinian-Arab terrorist stabbed Shuva Malka, an Israeli high-school girl,  less than 5 feet tall, studying for an exam at a bus-stop, because she “looked like a settler”. Diminutive Shuva took to her heels but the male adult terrorist  chased her with determination and stabbed her 9 times from the back, each time barely missing her essential organs (heart and lungs).

שובה ישבה בתחנה בעפולה, חיכתה לאוטובוס לבגרות באזרחות. “ישבתי על הספסל ולמדתי. הספר היה פתוח על הברכיים, התיק על הרצפה”. ואז הגיח מחבל, תושב ג’נין. הדקירה הראשונה ניחתה על היד שלה, והדחף המיידי היה לברוח. תוך כדי הימלטות, הוא הצליח לדקור אותה בגב שוב ושוב ושוב.  האם מיכל: “הרופא הוא הסביר עד כמה כל אחת מהדקירות הייתה עלולה לסטות קצת ולפגוע באיברים חיוניים. בנס, כל הפגיעות היו באיברים שיכולים לתקן את עצמם. בכבד, בסרעפת, בצלעות. לא בלב, למרות שהיה קרוב. היינו קרובים לכך שהמצב יהיה אחרת. זו לא הייתה סכין. זו הייתה חרב, כך תיאר לנו אותה שוטר יס”מ שהגיע לבית החולים. תשע דקירות, דקירה מהכתף נכנסה עד הריאה. היס”מניקים שראו אותה אמרו – מצא לו עם מי להתעסק. ילדונת חלשלושה, בקושי מטר וחצי. בהמשך, בחקירה, אמר המחבל מג’נין שלא סתם בחר בה כקורבן. “נראיתי ‘דתייה. מתנחלת’.;

https://www.makorrishon.co.il/magazine/dyukan/74167/

Appendix B

Quotes (Abbreviated) presenting Efrat as an “illegal settlement” — all from last month.

Fuld, father of 4 who was killed this week, was a resident of “illegal” (sic) Efrat.

Israel had also approved 106 new settlement units for the illegal settlement of Efrat, on Monday.

Since the occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 1967, between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis have moved into Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, in violation of international law.

August 22, 2018

https://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=780774

Israel Approves Building of Units in Illegal Effrat Settlement South of Bethlehem

August 21, 2018

https://www.albawaba.com/news/israel-approves-building-units-illegal-effrat-settlement-south-bethlehem-1176310

Former governor laid bricks and spread cement with other Israeli officials Wednesday for the construction of new housing units in  the illegal settlement of Efrat.

@Copyright The Palestinian Information Center

August 2, 2018

https://english.palinfo.com/35788

https://english.palinfo.com/news/2018/08/02/Former-US-governor-lays-bricks-for-new-settlement-homes-in-WB

For the time being  they are coming for settlers  – will we speak out about deadly “settlement illegality” justifications?

And will President Trump be brave enough and caring enough to put a stop to deadly “settlement illegality” justifications?

Contact mattot.arim@gmail.com if you are a person of determination – who can help. For example, sending this to a friend, is definitely a way to help.