What is West Bank?

Settler violence dynamics in the West Bank have inverted: riots are now settler groups attacking Palestinian villages, with the IDF struggling to control its own citizens rather than Palestinian uprisings.

“Every time we now see riots against the West Bank, it is settler groups or religious groups coming from Israel rioting in Palestinian villages and the IDF struggling to control it.”

Joel Braunold describes the US absence of a red line on settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

“Where there is not a red line, it seems, is on the complete explosion of violence between settler communities and Palestinians.”

The majority of the votes for Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian elections came from the West Bank, not Gaza.

“People forget the majority of votes for Hamas took place in the West Bank, not in Gaza because the elections happened in Gaza and in the West Bank.”

Alkhatib explains the West Bank vs. Gaza divergence using a South Korea/North Korea analogy: the PA's institution-building track went unsupported while Hamas's authoritarian track hardened, and Israeli settlement expansion undermined the moderates.

“I think there wasn't enough support for the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank to turn that territory that area into essentially a South Korea as Gaza was becoming a North Korea.”