Like a chess game: radical right-wing activists explain their part in violent clashes with the state

ABSTRACT

Many members of minority groups clash violently with state agents. The case of the Israeli West-Bank Settlers’ Right-Wing Activists is particularly paradoxical. Unlike disempowered groups whose ability to bring about change is limited – the Settlers constitute a powerful sociopolitical force, and the security forces with which Settler Right-Wing Activists clash, also protect them in territories to which they claim sovereignty. Based on 20 semi-structured interviews, this article provides explanations Settler Right-Wing Activists give to violent clashes in which they were involved. The findings present two non-mutually exclusive possibilities: (1) violence is perceived as an acceptable sociopolitical change strategy. Interviewees agree to risk themselves as individuals (but not to risk their group) in exchange for potential benefits such as preventing settlement evacuation; (2) Violence indicates declining mainly four out of six different components of perceived state legitimacy: trust, distributive justice, procedural justice, and legality, but primarily not identification and effectiveness.

KEYWORDS:

• Radical right-wing activists
• settlers
• political violence
• sociopolitical change strategies
• perceived state legitimacy
• West-bank

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Prof. Guy Ben-Porat and Prof. Dan Miodownik for their comments on previous drafts. Special thanks are dedicated to Alma Victoria and Adam (Ajuli) Reuven, who are the salt and pepper of this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Although not a settler himself, Amir’s center of political activity, prominent social connections, and ideological focal point were in the West-Bank.

2 Moreover: due to conscription, many violent activists served or will serve in the security forces in the future.

3 This division is not always one-valued, and sometimes there is an overlap between the groups.

4 It is common to use the term ‘hilltop-youth’ to designate this group.

5 This may be because women’s participation in violent clashes is lower than of men.

6 Jews are allowed to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem – but not to pray there.

7 An extremist settlement at the heart of the West-Bank, near Nablus.

8 Authorities seek to restrict their grazing areas and concentrate them in modern towns.

9 A civil body in charge of implementing Israel’s policy in the West-Bank, subordinated to military authority.

10 The biblical name of the West-Bank.

11 The Israeli law favors Jewish citizens over others.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yair Yassan

Dr. Yair Yassan is a lecturer in the Conflict Management and Resolution Program, in Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. He was awarded the President of Israel`s Scholarship for Outstanding Doctoral Students in 2017, and the Walter-Lebach Institute for Jewish-Arab Coexistence through Education Award in 2019.