Fractured Societies in the Occupied West Bank

Three young Palestinian men in the West Bank are picking olives from a tree on a hillside overlooking Bethlehem. This work has become necessary for them after Arab access to Israel was banned following the attacks on 7 October. Ahmed, one of the men, used to work on Israeli construction sites and has lost his source of income. Israel's security crackdown in the West Bank has also imposed further restrictions on movement. However, some Israelis, like Danny Chesterman, who lives in the settlement of Efrat, support the security measures. The events of 7 October, the military response, and the alleged involvement of Gazans who worked with Israelis have damaged relations between Jewish settlers and their Arab neighbors. The mistrust is compounded by settler violence and the arrest of over 1,400 Palestinians by the Israeli Defense Forces, many of whom are accused of having connections to Hamas. The tension in the region has ignited Palestinian protests and created a volatile situation. Both Israelis and Palestinians claim a right to the land, with the Two-State Solution being the long-standing international proposal for resolving the conflict. However, recent events have made the prospect of a Two-State Solution increasingly unlikely. Many Palestinians view it as the only acceptable option, while some Israelis argue that the Gaza Strip evacuation led to Hamas gaining control, making it a failed solution. Despite the complexity of the situation, ordinary Palestinians like Ahmed simply want peace, security, and the ability to provide for their families.