Transformations in the Israeli Colonial Project in the West Bank After October 7, 2023
This article examines the depth of the transformations that have taken place within the Israeli colonial-settlement project in the West Bank after October 7, 2023. It does not treat that date merely as a chronological starting point—beginning with the war and continuing beyond it—but rather approaches these developments within their political context, specifically in relation to the shifts that occurred in the Israeli state following the formation of the extremist far-right government in early 2023.
These transformations are closely tied to the coalition agreements that led to the government’s formation—particularly those involving the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party led by the extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir, who serves as Minister of National Security, and the Religious Zionism party led by the extremist Bezalel Smotrich, who holds both the Finance Ministry and the position of Minister within the Ministry of Defense. These two posts, in particular, have had profound ramifications for the overall settlement enterprise.
Within this framework, the article explores how Israel has exploited the fog of war and the ongoing genocide in Gaza to accelerate the implementation of long-prepared plans—some of which had been shelved for years—while also inventing new colonial-settlement mechanisms justified under the pretext of “war” or “security measures.” In short, the occupying power has intensified these actions in a race against time to impose new realities on the ground and bring about sweeping geopolitical transformations across Palestinian territory.