Varsen Aghabekian Shahin describes Israeli settler violence and expansion as two complementary pillars of an illegal colonial project.
Palestinian Minister for Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian Shahin stated that the violence of Israeli settlers and the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank are not separate phenomena. She described them as two complementary pillars of Israel's illegal colonial project to seize Palestinian land. Shahin argued that settler violence has evolved into a tool for systematic demographic change. She rejected the notion that these attacks are isolated incidents by a small group of extremists, noting that the scale, organization, and political backing of the project have accelerated since 2023. She emphasized that the impunity of the settlers is now official policy, supported by countries providing Israel with weapons and diplomatic cover. This systematic approach highlights the strategic nature of the Israeli settlement project rather than a most recent development.