A Violent Israeli Settler and His Palestinian Victim – Only One Belongs in Trump's America

A Tragic Story of Violence and Neglect

In the West Bank village of Umm al-Kheir, a pattern of violence repeated itself on Monday. Israeli settlers, including Yinon Levi from the extremist outpost of Meitarim, entered private Palestinian land with a bulldozer. Levi then opened fire with his handgun, fatally wounding Awdah Hathaleen, a local teacher and human rights activist. Despite the shooting being captured on video, Levi was arrested but later released under house arrest.

This incident highlights the ongoing struggle faced by Palestinians, who live under relentless Israeli oppression. The situation is further exacerbated by American policies that support Israeli control over the West Bank and reject Palestinian statehood. These policies have emboldened the settler right, making it increasingly difficult for Palestinians to find safety or justice.

Last year, several countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, imposed sanctions on Levi due to his role in a campaign of settler violence and forced displacement. A statement from the Biden administration's State Department described Levi as someone who leads a group of settlers that assault Palestinians, set fire to their fields, destroy their property, and threaten them if they do not leave their homes. However, these sanctions were short-lived, as President Donald Trump lifted them shortly after taking office, aligning with a settler-friendly agenda led by evangelical U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee.

The connection between the Trump administration and Hathaleen's life and death goes beyond policy. In June, Hathaleen traveled to the United States at the invitation of Jewish groups. He and another activist from Umm al-Kheir were part of an interfaith program sponsored by Kehilla Community Synagogue in Piedmont, California. However, upon arriving at the San Francisco airport, they were detained for hours and denied entry without explanation, despite having visas sponsored by the Jewish community.

Palestinian lives are devalued not only in Gaza, where mass death occurs daily, but also in the West Bank, where expulsions and violence are often treated as background noise. This is enabled by U.S. policies that back Israeli control of the West Bank and reject Palestinian statehood. As director Basel Adra wrote on X, "This is how Israel erases us – one life at a time."

Hathaleen was 31 when he was killed. He had always dreamed of seeing the ocean, which he finally did at the age of 23. He leaves behind three children and had hoped to raise them in a safer place. Unfortunately, there was nowhere for him to go, as the doors of the world were shut to him.

His humiliating expulsion from the United States, a result of Trump's draconian policies targeting pro-Palestinian voices, preceded his return to a place where his killing felt all too predictable. When an American-Palestinian was killed by settlers in the West Bank earlier this month, Huckabee called for an investigation. No such call came for Hathaleen, whose life was treated as disposable by the U.S.

This pattern of neglect echoes past actions, such as those of Breckinridge Long, a powerful figure at the State Department in 1940, who wrote about Jews trying to flee Europe to America: "We cannot continue to let these tragic people go on hoping…" With Hathaleen's killing, another settler crime will go unpunished, and the basic desire of every oppressed person—to be allowed to hope—will be buried again.

Ongoing Conflicts and International Responses

The conflict in Gaza continues to escalate, with reports of brutal food aid distribution and satellite images showing chaos at food hubs. The situation has led to warnings of a potential famine, with the death toll surpassing 60,000. Despite these dire conditions, many residents feel that the numbers no longer matter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approach to the conflict has been criticized as a "forever war," causing significant strain on Israeli soldiers and their families. Meanwhile, discussions about expanding the Gaza campaign and tightening the siege continue, with far-right ministers like Smotrich proposing plans for Israeli resettlement in Gaza.

The relationship between the U.S. and Israel has come under scrutiny, with calls to end the so-called "special relationship" that has led to atrocities in Gaza. Polls show that Americans' support for Israel's Gaza war has reached record lows, and Trump's policies have given Israel a free hand in the region.

Protests have targeted Egyptian embassies worldwide, blaming Cairo for slowing aid at the Gaza border. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's strategies in Gaza have been criticized as lacking any coherent plan, with some arguing that he knows exactly what he is doing.

As the conflict continues, the need for a just and lasting solution becomes more urgent. The stories of individuals like Awdah Hathaleen serve as a reminder of the human cost of the ongoing violence and the importance of international accountability.