A war on hope: Israeli settler campaigns and the future of Palestinians

At the military checkpoint set up at the entrance to the town of Ein Siniya, north of Ramallah, concrete blocks have been erected bearing an Arabic slogan reading “no future in Palestine.” Every day, thousands of Palestinian vehicles line up at this checkpoint, waiting to pass, and the wait — whether for entering or leaving Ramallah — can stretch for hours next to these blocks.

“The scene didn’t feel normal for us when they were first put up. There were conversations and questions among the passengers about the messages they conveyed. There are many theories and possibilities, but the only constant is that something unknown is being prepared for our people in the near future.”

Just a few kilometers from this checkpoint lies the road connecting Ramallah and Nablus, near the Israeli settlement of Shilo. Along this road, passersby can see a large billboard with the same message accompanied by an image of forcefully displaced Palestinians carrying their belongings against a backdrop of a destroyed Gaza.

In several locations along roads and checkpoints, settlers have written this slogan as a clear message to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The goal is to imprint this message into their consciousness, to psychologically undermine and condition them, and to create a future vision and narrative that calls for or pressures them toward emigration or forced displacement from their homeland.

A billboard sign placed by a settler organization bearing the slogan "No Future in Palestine"

A billboard sign placed by an Israeli settler organization bearing the slogan "No Future in Palestine"

Psychological conditioning for the displacement of Palestinians

Ahmad Hani, a public taxi driver on the Ramallah–Nablus route, passes by one of these signs every morning when leaving Ramallah, and again in the evening upon his return. “The scene didn’t feel normal for us when they were first put up. There were conversations and questions among the passengers about the messages they conveyed,” Hani told Raseef22.

“As the days went by, no one talked about it anymore. Has it become a familiar sight? Or is it a form of apathy or indifference from those who see it? Has Israel succeeded in delivering its message to us Palestinians — that we have no future on this land? Or is indifference itself a form of defiance?”

“But as days went by, no one talked about it anymore. No one brought it up in my vehicle. Has it become a familiar sight? Or is it a form of apathy or indifference from those who see it? Has Israel succeeded in delivering its message to us Palestinians — that we have no future on this land? Or is indifference itself a form of defiance?” he wonders.

Hani admits that many theories and possibilities run through his mind daily, “but the only constant is that something unknown is being prepared for our people in the near future,” he adds.

“These signs are spreading in the West Bank as part of psychological preparation for the agenda of forced displacement. In the wake of the genocide in Gaza, settler organizations supported by political parties within the Israeli government are trying to send a message to Palestinians that there is no future for them on their land, and that they should consider leaving now before they are forced to later,” Adel Shadeed, an expert on Israeli affairs, tells Raseef22.

"There is no such thing as voluntary migration. What is happening is forced displacement through bombing, destruction, oppressing Palestinians, tightening restrictions on them, and the destruction of infrastructure. These practices aim to eliminate all aspects and means of life."

“At the same time, it is legally and logistically easier for these organizations to carry out fundraising tours around the world — particularly in the United States and Europe — than it is for political parties to do the same, even though these organizations are often extensions of certain political forces in Israel.”

Shadeed points out that the campaign to dry up funding and resources from organizations and institutions associated with the “left” and “the moderate” in Israel has cleared the way for right-wing organizations alone to raise money, encourage settlement expansion, and push for Palestinian displacement.

"There is no such thing as voluntary migration. What is happening is forced displacement through bombing, destruction, oppressing Palestinians, tightening restrictions on them, and the destruction of infrastructure. These practices aim to eliminate all aspects and means of life, and as such, this must be understood as blatant forced displacement,” he says.

What has been happening cannot be described as an Israeli “plan” anymore. During the military operation "Iron Wall," which began in the West Bank in January 2025, Israel has already forcibly displaced around 40,000 Palestinians from their homes.

“These signs are spreading in the West Bank as part of psychological preparation for the agenda of forced displacement. In the wake of the genocide in Gaza, settler organizations supported by political parties within the Israeli government are trying to send a message to Palestinians that there is no future for them on their land, and that they should consider leaving now before they are forced to later.”

Settler organizations backed by the government

Behind this campaign and its slogan stands the settler ultra-nationalist organization Fighting for Life, which is active in the northern governorates of the West Bank. The organization works to entrench an ideological reality rooted in the denial and rejection of any notion of establishing a Palestinian state.

Founded in 2022, the organization asserts that “the war over land is not just a physical battle — it is a spiritual war against the people of Israel. If we surrender, we will face another massacre. We have learned in Gaza that if we do not defeat the enemy, the enemy will defeat us. What applies to Gaza, applies to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank): occupation, displacement, and settlement.”

“We have observed a growing trend, fueled by the war, in which Arabs are deciding to emigrate or are openly considering it, after realizing that Israelis have resolved not to allow a Palestinian state to be established near them,” members of the organization claim. “It's either us or them.”

In an interview on Israel’s Channel 7, a supporter of the organization stated that “Palestinians have constantly been misled about the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state, and this encourages them to carry out terrorist operations.”

“One feels an increasing sense of fear and anxiety about the future. I’ve started talking to my wife a lot about this. Will we remain on this land, or will they expel us? After all the destruction that’s happened in Gaza, nothing is impossible for Israel and the U.S.”

In recent years, another group has also come to prominence: the Hilltop Youth, an extremist settler organization made up of some of the most extreme and fanatical Jewish youth who live in settlements across the West Bank. They are known for establishing illegal settlement outposts and organizing coordinated campaigns to attack Palestinians and destroy their property.

The group’s name originated from a call made by former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs under Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in 1996. At that time, in an effort to derail the peace process and the Wye River Agreement, Sharon urged: “Run and seize as many hills as you can. Seize them hilltop by hilltop, expand the territory.”

This organization’s activities have become more prominent thanks to direct support from Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, who granted them expanded powers and armed them with advanced weaponry. They also received backing from Army Minister Israel Katz, who halted administrative detentions against them.

“These are not random acts, but rather a systematic policy orchestrated by those behind it — a prelude to forcibly displacing and expelling residents from those Palestinian villages and towns, until their full annexation to the State of Israel,” former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wrote in an article in Haaretz.

Olmert added that these young settlers operate within an environment of complete support and backing from a significant portion of the adult population in the settlements as well as the Israeli security establishment.

Trump’s plan and its impact on Palestinian psyche

Trump’s statements regarding the need to displace Palestinians from Gaza — or in softer terms, to “relocate” them to places other than their current “unlivable” home, as he puts it — form yet another chapter in the campaign to reprogram Palestinian psyche and consciousness regarding their displacement or forced removal and expulsion from their homeland.

This “soft language”— and the portrayal of “Trump’s Gaza” or a “Gaza Riviera” as a prosperous, thriving place filled with job opportunities — was illustrated in a short video released by Trump himself. Using artificial intelligence, the video depicts a future Gaza where Trump parties with Netanyahu and Elon Musk, money rains from the sky, and golden statues of Trump have been erected in the streets — all after its population has been displaced.

Palestinian public reactions to the video were mixed: some mocked and ridiculed it, while others grew anxious and expressed apprehension. “We are currently living in a very dangerous phase. One feels an increasing sense of fear and anxiety about the future. I’ve started talking to my wife a lot about this,” Thaer Othman, a resident of Salfit, tells Raseef22. “Will we remain on this land, or will they expel us? After all the destruction that’s happened in Gaza, nothing is impossible for Israel and the US.”

“I’ve started thinking about reaching out to my relatives in the U.S. Maybe they can help me secure a job there. If things work out, I might go first, and then my family would follow,” he adds. Nothing is guaranteed in this country after everything that has happened.”

Trump’s vision for the future of Gaza has sparked significant controversy on both international and Arab levels, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. It hinges on the reconstruction of Gaza based on economic, profit-driven, and utilitarian considerations, while completely ignoring the deep connection Palestinians have to their land.

Meanwhile, his proposal was widely welcomed across Israeli circles, bolstering Netanyahu’s coalition and encouraging right-wing Israeli parties to remain in the government. Itamar Ben Gvir declared, “The only solution for Gaza is encouraging the voluntary emigration of its residents. When I said this repeatedly during the war, people mocked me. But this is the only solution to the Gaza problem. This is the strategy for ‘the day after the war.’”

Has the official Palestinian vision disappeared?

“These settler organizations are working to target residents in targeted and vulnerable areas, where Palestinians suffer from a complete lack of personal security due to the settlers’ terrorism and violence,” says Issa Amro, head of the “Youth Against Settlements” organization — a grassroots group active in resisting settlement expansion in Hebron (Al-Khalil). “Setting up these billboards is part of an attempt to strip Palestinians of hope and pressure their consciousness by portraying Israel as the rightful owner of the land.”

“This is a clear message that the Palestinian state and the right to self-determination will never be achieved, and that Israel has jurisdiction and sovereignty over everything.”

Shadeed emphasizes that the absence of an official or popular Palestinian plan will only amplify the dangers of this project. “The greatest danger lies in the fact that these plans are not being confronted by any official Palestinian plans to thwart or resist them.”

“They didn’t tell you, but the State of Israel has decided to implement Trump’s plan, with a few improvements: reducing the number of Arab citizens inside. Instead of expelling them, which would cause Israel a lot of headaches, let them kill each other — and that’s how we’ll get rid of the Arabs,” said Yair Revivo, Lod’s city mayor.

Meanwhile, Amro pointed out that his organization launched a campaign in which it posted signs and banners in public spaces around Hebron asserting Palestinian ownership of the land, under the slogan, “this is Palestine.” The campaign also worked to remove settler-installed billboards, while raising awareness among citizens about the dangerous message they carry.

“We also launched an international campaign to inform the international community about the issue of so-called ‘voluntary displacement,’ which is unrealistic and contradicts the Palestinian’s deep attachment to their land and rights. We aim to prevent a repeat of the forced displacement experience seen in the 1948 Nakba or the 1967 Naksa. Our campaign also highlights that most countries in the world are not willing to accept immigrants. This supposed ‘option’ only serves to create a psychological conflict for Palestinians, whose very presence on their land is itself a form of resistance,” Amro concluded.

Does the displacement include ‘48 Palestinians with Israeli citizenship?

Israeli newspapers have reported that Palestinian social media channels believe Israel aims to expel all Palestinians — not just in the West Bank and Gaza, but also in Jerusalem and within Israel itself.

This policy was reflected in recent statements by Israeli officials, including Likud mayor of the city of Lod, Yair Revivo. “They didn’t tell you, but the State of Israel has decided to implement Trump’s plan, with a few improvements: reducing the number of Arab citizens inside,” said Revivo, commenting on the rise of organized crime in Palestinian communities within Israel. “Instead of expelling them, which would cause Israel a lot of headaches, let them kill each other—and that’s how we’ll get rid of the Arabs.”

“How can Arabs kill their own women and children? Israel has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for Arabs,” added Revivo in an interview with the newspaper Makor Rishon. “So more and more Arab families in Lod are emigrating abroad.”

In 2024 alone, 230 Palestinians inside Israel were killed. Only 14.8% of those crimes were brought to court, according to Palestinian human rights organizations and the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel. They argue this reflects the Israeli government's lack of any political resolve to address organized crime.

“Our message to the younger generation is: Don’t let anyone steal your future. Don’t leave your villages. Don’t lose your identity. Don’t integrate into a reality whose rulers seek to erase you. This is a battle of awareness. And awareness is the first step to regaining power.”

“The ‘transfer’ policy has always been a core part of Zionist ideology,” political activist Dr. Thabet Abu Rass tells Raseef22. “It was introduced at the earliest Zionist congresses, and it has been implemented ever since the founding of the State of Israel until today.”

He explains how Israel continues to displace ‘48 Palestinians inside (Palestinian citizens of Israel) by tightening restrictions on their towns, preventing expansion of municipal boundaries, and pushing — or ‘transferring’ — Palestinians into urban environments while turning villages into cities.

Abu Rass also highlighted the other ways in which land is stolen and populations are displaced, emphasizing that scenes of Palestinian expulsions and displacing and destroying villages are not merely a thing of the past.

“There’s a village called al-Mafjar, located on the coast south of Haifa. Its residents were displaced south to a Palestinian city so a power station could be built on their land in Hadera. In this way, people are being quietly relocated, or ‘transferred’, into larger population centers — this is the same transfer policy happening in the heartland, in Masafer Yatta, and in the Negev.”

Perhaps the Bedouin Palestinians of the Negev arguably face the harshest policies: widespread home demolitions, village expulsions, and land theft.

“Israel has reduced the number of Bedouins from 100,000 to 11,000 people and is still trying to concentrate them in limited ‘urban’ zones,” Abu Rass adds.

“Our message to the younger generation is: don’t let anyone steal your future. Don’t leave your villages. Don’t lose your identity. Don’t integrate into a reality whose rulers seek to erase you. This is a battle of awareness. And awareness is the first step to regaining power,” says Saleh Abu Ruken, one of the founders of the protest tent against demolition orders, in an interview with Raseef22.

He notes that the issue of both forced and “voluntary” displacement facing ‘48 Palestinians doesn’t come only through house demolitions and evictions, but also through the fueling of violence and crime, systematic policies that erase identity, and efforts to reshape Israel’s demographic reality in a way that weakens Palestinians as an independent community with its own identity and history.

“If we don’t act now, in 20 or 30 years we’ll find ourselves in a society with an identity that bears no resemblance to our original identity. But if we start today, we can turn the equation around and reclaim our right to the land, our identity, and our existence.”

“People are being pushed to leave their villages under economic and security pressure, which leads to the disintegration of society and erosion of identity,” Abu Ruken continues. “This is how Israel is working to replace the Palestinian community as an independent entity with isolated individuals, or ones integrated into the state without any distinct identity of their own.”

“The challenge now is to rebuild collective consciousness. We, in the protest tent, are working to strengthen local belonging, resist policies of demolition and discriminatory planning, organize grassroots action against demolition orders in a thoughtful and effective way, confront violence and crime, and create local initiatives to ensure community safety and security instead of relying on a system that does not value Palestinian lives inside Israel.

“If we don’t act now, in 20 or 30 years we’ll find ourselves in a society with an identity that bears no resemblance to our original identity. But if we start today, we can turn the equation around and reclaim our right to the land, our identity, and our existence.”