And this is a subject we talk about, but we need a quick summary of it to explain how Area C became particularly vulnerable to settler expansion and how the initial use of grazing and agricultural activity enabled relatively small groups of settlers to establish control over large areas of land.

Yes, thank you for the question.

So since the establishment of this government, and especially after October 7, we've seen the settlers taking over land, first in Area C, that is the area that according to the West Bank is under both military and civil control of Israel.

And that was the easiest target because many of the communities are in the open areas, so-called agriculture areas, the grazing areas.

are Bedouins and very vulnerable farming communities that lease the land or live there for generations with agreements of the landowners from the cities and the towns around the big cities.

And it was the easiest target for the settlers.

This already had been happening before October 7, you know, putting outposts and copying from the Palestinians the method to be in the land, bringing sheep or goats or camels sometimes or cows and just getting permission from the civil administration, from the Israeli army and Israeli authorities, and pushing back the Palestinians.

be clear about the difference, just explain how Israeli civil law applies in Majd al-Qurum area, for example, rather than the military legal system that operates in the West Bank.

Welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about what are these lies? What did you see in Kusra?

Yeah, thank you for having me.

I've been to Cusa twice in the recent week.

First, a week ago on Friday, where a group of activists tried to march to Ridi's house to bring food and water and medicine and were blocked by the Israeli army and border police, the same army and police who allow for months.

the settlers to attack, to murder there, to injure.

Israeli human rights activists were severely injured there a few months ago.

Houses were attacked and vandalized.

And there also seems to be a distinction, you know, sort of good settlers and bad settlers.

Can you talk about what are these lies? What did you see in Qusra?

Yeah.

Thank you for having me.

Uh, I've been to Qusra twice in the recent week.

First, a week ago on Friday wheref- a group of, uh, activists tried to march, uh, uh, to Ridy's house to bring food, a- and water, and medicine, and were blocked, uh, by the Israeli army and border police, the same army and police who allow for months, uh, the settlers to attack, to murder there, to injured, uh...

Israeli human rights activists were severely injured there a few months ago.

Uh, houses were attacked and vandalized.

And there also seems to be a distinction, you know, so sort of good settlers and bad settlers.

His most recent article is headlined, "Qusra is where Israel's lies about settler violence hit a wall." Um, welcome to Democracy Now! Can you talk about what are these lies? What did you see in Qusra?

Yeah.

Thank you for having me.

Uh, I've been to Qusra twice in the recent week.

First, a week ago on Friday wheref- a group of, uh, activists tried to march, uh, uh, to Ridy's house to bring food, a- and water, and medicine, and were blocked, uh, by the Israeli army and border police, the same army and police who allow for months, uh, the settlers to attack, to murder there, to injured, uh...

Israeli human rights activists were severely injured there a few months ago.

Uh, houses were attacked and vandalized.

And Oren, can you talk about this argument that, you know, Bibi Netanyahu is making, also to some extent Mike Huckabee, um, US, uh, ambassador to Israel, that there's some sort of distinction between the settlers here, I believe, uh, Mike Huckabee called them unsettlers, and the, and the vast majority of other settlers? And there also seems to be a distinction, you know, so sort of good settlers and bad settlers.

Can you talk about the significance of the size of these protests and what exam- what exactly the Israelis were calling for?

Thank you for having me.

I think it's really interesting moment because over the past almost two years we've seen, uh, big protests but not huge like that, and we've seen also moments during the war with Iran, with Lebanon, and other occasion that the numbers were really low.

People...

You know, Netanyahu is doing what he's doing the best and is dragging time and mak- making people tired.

And this is also true to the Israeli public that went in tens of thousands in the last year and a half or two years.

But yesterday, a big and a significant number of people went out and it's even more important with the incitement we've seen from Netanyahu and other ministers that were even more harsh in terms of saying that protesters are helping Hamas, making the price of a deal, uh, higher and so on.

How common is this, the refuseniks?

The Israeli military raided the funeral tent and arrested more of Oda's family after his death.

Thank you for having me.

Yes, you are right.

Unfortunately, this tragic incident that, of course, happened because of the backup the settlers on the ground get from the police, from the army and from the Israeli government.

This has continued, although in this case the victim is a Palestinian.

The suspect shooter is a settler, a well-known one, as you mentioned.

The Israeli authorities, the army, the police and the settlers continued their campaign against the village.

The Israeli military raided the funeral tent and arrested more of Odeh's family after his death.

Thank you for having me.

Yes, you are right.

Unfortunately, this tragic incident, that, of course, happened because of the backup the settlers on the ground get from the police, from the army, and from the Israeli government, this has continued.

Although, in this case, the victim is a Palestinian, the suspect shooter is a settler, a well-known one, as you mentioned, the Israeli authorities, the army, the police and the settlers continued their campaign against the village.

It's important to say that since the war in Gaza began, they, this community, like many others in the area, have been under constant pressure to leave, harassment, invasions, seizing of land, and other things.

But you could imagine that at least while people are mourning the death of Odeh, that was really loved among all the community and also by Israeli international activists that came to the village, they did not stop.

Uh-