The Days and Pitfalls of Qusra

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains silent, and his views on the siege of Qusra – the Palestinian village near Nablus in the West Bank – have never left his office. According to The Times of Israel, the United States wants him to condemn the violent settlers who have set up camp in front of three Palestinian homes, establishing an illegal outpost. But he is not budging, and his silence is an electoral ploy, just like his entire handling of the emergency that is paralysing the Palestinian village. Defence Minister Israel Katz has stepped in to take centre stage, condemning the situation whilst referring to it as a ‘marginal phenomenon’, and calling for the police to intervene in place of the army – although in reality the police should already be responsible for the matter. The siege continues; the settlers remain in position; no one can enter or leave Qusra, nor can food be delivered to those trapped inside the village. The Israeli army’s Golani Battalion, which was sent to stop the settlers and, in theory, to protect the Palestinians, has failed to restore the situation to normal, and the IDF has launched an investigation into some of the soldiers who, instead of taking action against the settlers, began praying with them. Katz said that the army was unable to guarantee security, but the Defence Minister’s statements should not be interpreted as genuine concern over an alarming situation in which soldiers are unable to break the siege imposed by a group of settlers, but rather as barbs in an election campaign in which clashes between the army and the government are at the heart of everything. Qusra has found itself caught in the middle, at the centre of an election debate that is set to be fierce, promises to be unfair, and is likely to reopen the wounds inflicted by Israel in recent years.

Axios journalist Barak Ravid recounted an anecdote about the latest meeting between US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu in Washington. Trump asked the Israeli Prime Minister how the polls were looking ahead of the October election, and Netanyahu’s hesitation was reportedly interrupted by an Israeli official who broke the awkward silence by saying: “He’ll win.” The polls do not suggest this, as yet. Clashes between the political establishment and the military are weighing on the vote, as are Qusra, the unpunished settlers, the siege and the soldiers standing idly by.