Eliana Passentin enjoys her home, located nearly 3,000 feet above sea level in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, offering views from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean coast. The dining room overlooks ancient Shiloh, the first capital of the Israelites.
Ms. Passentin expresses a desire for the area to be annexed by Israel, a sentiment shared by some settlers following the election of President-elect Donald J. Trump. His staffing choices, including Pete Hegseth for defense secretary and Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Jerusalem, have raised hopes among settlers for potential annexation.
Approximately half a million settlers and around 2.7 million Palestinians reside in the West Bank. Palestinians and much of the international community view the territory as part of a future independent Palestinian state and consider the Jewish settlements illegal. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, settler leaders feel more confident that the prospect of a Palestinian state is diminishing.
Settlers hope Israel will extend its sovereignty over parts or all of the territory through annexation, a move it has avoided since capturing the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war due to global opposition. Ms. Passentin believes the new administration will support Israel's decisions.
The West Bank has seen increasing violence, with a rise in Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians and Israeli military operations targeting armed militants. The United Nations reports nearly 1,000 Palestinian deaths in the West Bank since the start of 2023, with Israeli authorities claiming most were armed fighters, though some were civilians. In the same period, about 50 Israelis were killed by Palestinian assailants.
On Monday, gunmen attacked a civilian bus and cars near the Palestinian village of Al-Funduq, resulting in at least three fatalities, which Israeli authorities labeled a terrorist attack.
Some settlers express caution regarding Mr. Trump, noting his lack of clear plans for the region. However, they believe the new administration will align with the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yisrael Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council, expressed relief that Trump's team has witnessed the realities on the ground.
Support for a two-state solution has declined among Israel's Jewish majority, with many fearing that a Palestinian state would threaten their security. A recent survey indicated that nearly two-thirds of Jewish Israelis believe Palestinians do not have a right to their own state.
Mr. Ganz has refrained from explicitly advising Mr. Trump, opting for less provocative language regarding changes in the West Bank, which the Israeli government considers disputed territory.
During his first term, Mr. Trump provided significant diplomatic support to Israel, including moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing it as Israel's capital. His administration's peace plan favored Israel and was rejected by Palestinian leaders.
Settler leaders are now requesting the Trump administration to lift sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on individuals and organizations accused of violence against Palestinians. While they do not condone violence, they argue it is a police matter and a small fraction of the violence directed at settlers.
Despite enthusiasm for Mr. Trump's election, expectations for his actions in office are tempered. Aaron Katsof, a winemaker, noted that a second term may bring more experience and maturity compared to the initial excitement.
Rivka Amar, a pregnant settler, lives in a small outpost and focuses on daily tasks rather than political developments. She emphasizes the importance of settlers controlling land to prevent it from falling into Palestinian hands, stating, "If I’m not there, my enemy will be there."
Overall, the situation in the West Bank remains complex, with settlers divided in their views and the political landscape shifting in response to both local and international developments.