In this interview with Channel 7, Itay Zer, one of the founders of the illegal Gilad Farm settlement in the West Bank, outlines his perspective on security and settlement expansion. He frames the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in terms of self-defense, arguing that settlers face murderous attacks and must respond with lethal force. Zer rejects characterizations of 'settler violence' or 'Jewish terror,' positioning such language as contributing to Jewish casualties. He references the principle of preemptive self-defense and invokes October 7th as evidence for the necessity of armed response. The interview also covers concrete plans for expansion: Zer announces the imminent establishment of two new farms in the area, framing settlement building as a response to attacks. He presents this expansion as a counter-strategy to what he describes as a 'murderous public' neighbouring the settlement.
Key Points
- Zer advocates for lethal force against Palestinians approaching settlers with weapons, citing self-defense principles and invoking the post-October 7th security environment.
- He explicitly rejects terminology such as 'settler violence' and 'Jewish terror,' arguing that such language misrepresents the nature of the conflict.
- Two new farms are planned for immediate establishment in the West Bank as part of a settlement expansion strategy.
- Zer frames settlement building as a direct response to security attacks, presenting construction as an assertion of Israeli presence and control.
- He invokes the concept of preemptive self-defense ('He who comes to kill you, kill him first') as justification for armed confrontation.
Article
Hebrew
Knowledge Library reading view for this lecture
Itay Zer, founder of Gilad Farm, discusses plans for settlement expansion in the West Bank and advocates for armed self-defense against Palestinians, stating that settlers will establish two new farms in response to security incidents.
Summary
In this interview with Channel 7, Itay Zer, one of the founders of the illegal Gilad Farm settlement in the West Bank, outlines his perspective on security and settlement expansion. He frames the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in terms of self-defense, arguing that settlers face murderous attacks and must respond with lethal force. Zer rejects characterizations of 'settler violence' or 'Jewish terror,' positioning such language as contributing to Jewish casualties. He references the principle of preemptive self-defense and invokes October 7th as evidence for the necessity of armed response. The interview also covers concrete plans for expansion: Zer announces the imminent establishment of two new farms in the area, framing settlement building as a response to attacks. He presents this expansion as a counter-strategy to what he describes as a 'murderous public' neighbouring the settlement.
Key takeaways
- Zer advocates for lethal force against Palestinians approaching settlers with weapons, citing self-defense principles and invoking the post-October 7th security environment.
- He explicitly rejects terminology such as 'settler violence' and 'Jewish terror,' arguing that such language misrepresents the nature of the conflict.
- Two new farms are planned for immediate establishment in the West Bank as part of a settlement expansion strategy.
- Zer frames settlement building as a direct response to security attacks, presenting construction as an assertion of Israeli presence and control.
- He invokes the concept of preemptive self-defense ('He who comes to kill you, kill him first') as justification for armed confrontation.
Full article
On Enemies and Self-Defense
You have to understand that we face enemies—murderers who burn us and kill us. We need to stop this nonsense about "settler violence" and "Jewish terror." Whoever says such things is the reason we are being burned and murdered. An Arab who approaches Jews with a stone must receive a bullet in the head from my position. "He who comes to kill you, kill him first." If we haven't understood this after October 7th, when will we wake up? We need to kill Arabs from a distance when they come to attack us. This is not even a question anymore. What more do we need to go through to understand these things?
Plans for Expansion
We need to pull ourselves together here. Already today, with God's help, we will establish two farms in this area. The Shabbat attack was part of the planning for establishing these farms. Now we're going to do it before Shabbat, with God's help. They come to murder and kill, and we will build and establish and create. We are simply dealing with this murderous public here next to us, and we will handle it.
Topics#West Bank settlements#Israeli-Palestinian conflict#Settlement expansion#Self-defense doctrine#Gilad Farm#Security response strategy