Published on 4/19/2026
The West Bank is witnessing a remarkable escalation in settlement practices that go beyond field control over the land, towards imposing a new visual and cultural identity through the extensive dissemination of religious and political symbols and Israeli designations. Specialists describe these practices as an attempt to impose “visual sovereignty” in preparation for establishing a permanent settlement reality.
During the past two weeks, field tours observed the spread of Israeli flags on the roads, and the erection of religious objects such as the menorah and the Star of David in public squares and on hilltops, in a scene that reflects a shift in the tools of control from the field to the public visual space. Israel gives the West Bank a biblical name, “Judea and Samaria,” to reinforce its historical narrative.
The escalation of attacks and the “soft” strategy
This comes in conjunction with the escalation of settler attacks. They have carried out 443 attacks since February 28, exploiting the state of unrest to intensify their attacks. Since October 2023, attacks have resulted in the deaths of more than 1,140 Palestinians and the injury of about 11,750, according to Palestinian data.
In this context, the Director of the Office of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Hassan Brijiyeh, explained that these practices fall within the “soft power” strategy. He pointed out that the phenomenon has evolved from spreading symbols to controlling public buildings, as happened in the town of Huwwara, south of Nablus, where settlers removed the Palestinian flag and raised the Israeli flag over its high school, stressing that these measures are taking place “under the protection of the army and police.”
The three political messages of Basra settlement
In turn, the expert on Israeli affairs, Alaa Al-Rimawi, identified three main messages for this visual spread:
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- For the Palestinians: Consolidating the idea that the West Bank is part of the Israeli project.
- For the settlers: Presenting the West Bank as an “Israeli cultural and civilizational environment.”
- To the international community: normalizing the reality of settlement and presenting it as a fait accompli.
Al-Rimawi continued: “The ultimate goal is to reproduce the state of complete control, leading to the establishment of what can be called a settler state in the West Bank.”
The religious dimension and rewriting the historical narrative
Al-Rimawi pointed out that the use of religious symbols aims to confer legitimacy by “linking Palestinian sites to Israeli religious narratives.” This includes giving Biblical names such as “Shechem” for Nablus, “Hebron” for Hebron, and “Shamron” for the northern West Bank.
Religious shrines are also being targeted, such as “Joseph’s Tomb” in Nablus, whose sanctity the Jews claim despite archaeologists confirming that the site is a shrine for a Muslim sheikh named Youssef Dweikat and is no more than a few centuries old. These attempts, according to observers, aim to reshape historical and geographical awareness in a way that serves the settlement project.
