Israeli settlers in the West Bank often claim they are living in fear.
Some say they are surrounded by hostility, facing threats to their lives.
But while their fears are real to them, there’s a deeper, harsher reality they choose to ignore — the violence and dispossession they are inflicting on Palestinians every single day.
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Can you chip in £3 today?
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In his new BBC documentary The Settlers, Louis Theroux pulls no punches.
He shows exactly what life under occupation looks like: Palestinians forced from their homes, entire villages demolished, children growing up under constant threat.
The reaction from some in the right-wing press has been predictable. Journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti, writing in The Spectator, accuses Theroux of picking on settlers and ignoring their suffering.
But Sacerdoti’s outrage misses the point — and in doing so, exposes the very imbalance Theroux is trying to highlight.
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Let’s be clear:
-
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.
-
The occupation systematically violates Palestinian human rights.
-
Many settlers actively participate in — or at least benefit from — the dispossession of Palestinians.
Theroux’s documentary captures the human reality behind these dry legal facts.
We see Palestinians being driven off of land they have lived on for centuries.
We see the casual violence, the intimidation, the two-tiered legal system: one law for Jewish settlers, another — harsher — for Palestinians.
Sacerdoti doesn’t deny these realities.
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Instead, he tries to change the subject.
He talks about settlers’ feelings — their sense of threat, their religious beliefs, their personal histories.
These are not irrelevant (Theroux interviews settlers at length about exactly these things). But they don’t alter the core injustice.
You can feel afraid — and still be part of a system of oppression.
You can have sincere beliefs — and still be wrong to steal someone else’s home.
Sacerdoti’s argument is like saying British colonists in Kenya or Algeria were the real victims because independence movements resisted their occupation.
It’s an inversion of reality that tries to shield privilege and power from scrutiny.
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £3 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Theroux doesn’t “pick on” settlers.
He holds a mirror up to power.
He gives voice to Palestinians who are almost never heard on mainstream Western platforms.
He treats settlers not as cartoon villains, but as human beings whose actions have real consequences.
That’s not prejudice.
That’s journalism.
And for the millions of Palestinians living under an endless, grinding military occupation, it’s long overdue.
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The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
If Israeli settlers are scared – what about the Palestinians they’re oppressing?
Israeli settlers in the West Bank often claim they are living in fear.
Some say they are surrounded by hostility, facing threats to their lives.
But while their fears are real to them, there’s a deeper, harsher reality they choose to ignore — the violence and dispossession they are inflicting on Palestinians every single day.
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £3 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
In his new BBC documentary The Settlers, Louis Theroux pulls no punches.
He shows exactly what life under occupation looks like: Palestinians forced from their homes, entire villages demolished, children growing up under constant threat.
The reaction from some in the right-wing press has been predictable. Journalist Jonathan Sacerdoti, writing in The Spectator, accuses Theroux of picking on settlers and ignoring their suffering.
But Sacerdoti’s outrage misses the point — and in doing so, exposes the very imbalance Theroux is trying to highlight.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Let’s be clear:
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.
The occupation systematically violates Palestinian human rights.
Many settlers actively participate in — or at least benefit from — the dispossession of Palestinians.
Theroux’s documentary captures the human reality behind these dry legal facts.
We see Palestinians being driven off of land they have lived on for centuries.
We see the casual violence, the intimidation, the two-tiered legal system: one law for Jewish settlers, another — harsher — for Palestinians.
Sacerdoti doesn’t deny these realities.
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Instead, he tries to change the subject.
He talks about settlers’ feelings — their sense of threat, their religious beliefs, their personal histories.
These are not irrelevant (Theroux interviews settlers at length about exactly these things). But they don’t alter the core injustice.
You can feel afraid — and still be part of a system of oppression.
You can have sincere beliefs — and still be wrong to steal someone else’s home.
Sacerdoti’s argument is like saying British colonists in Kenya or Algeria were the real victims because independence movements resisted their occupation.
It’s an inversion of reality that tries to shield privilege and power from scrutiny.
Help fund great articles! We’re aiming for £50 to cover research and reporting time this week.
Can you chip in £3 today?
👉 https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Theroux doesn’t “pick on” settlers.
He holds a mirror up to power.
He gives voice to Palestinians who are almost never heard on mainstream Western platforms.
He treats settlers not as cartoon villains, but as human beings whose actions have real consequences.
That’s not prejudice.
That’s journalism.
And for the millions of Palestinians living under an endless, grinding military occupation, it’s long overdue.
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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