The Israeli settlers – an outsider’s view from the inside

The Israeli settlers in the West Bank are seen – not only by people outside Israel but by the secular liberal Israeli majority – as the main obstacle to reaching peace with the Palestinians. The stereotype is of a group of secluded, fanatic, violent and racist nutters, armed with God’s orders to settle the Promised Land by Jews, regardless of other inhabitants, international law, Israeli government decisions or other petty “earthly” matters.

As a writer, I developed a curiosity for the settlements and outposts some years ago. The combination of lawlessness, lack of clear borders, the sense of adventure and of conquering new frontiers, as well as the breathtaking landscapes, religious fanaticism and a violent national conflict, made it feel like a modern, surreal kind of the Western – in fact, the Wild West Bank.

In the last two years I have been traveling frequently to settlements and outposts in the West Bank in order to find out about the people behind the stereotype. My goal was not political and I did not try to prove any point, but to research my next novel, that takes place in an illegal outpost. My main drive was curiosity – to learn about the people, their thoughts, their way of life, and the ways in which their private life converges with the larger, political story. I wanted to find out what actually happens on the ground when the president of the US, the most powerful man on earth, forces Israel to freeze the construction in the settlements, and how it affects the inhabitants of the mobile homes in a tiny outpost on some neglected hill in Judea (hint: they don’t give a fuck).

I have been returning to one outpost in particular, a stunning place on the edge of the desert, where I managed to find a small hut to sit and write, and where I drew my inspiration and experiences. I have made friends, spent time with families, and examined and encountered their fascinating architecture, their pets, their organic fields and olive groves, and their Arab neighbours. Obviously, I have found a much richer and more complex world than the stereotype predetermined. The result is still work in (slow) progress…

Assaf Gavron is a writer and translator. He grew up in Jerusalem, studied in London and Vancouver, and now lives in Tel Aviv. In Israel he has published four novels, a short story collection, and a collection of falafel reviews. His most recent novel, the first to be translated into English, is ‘CrocAttack!’, which was published in March by 4th Estate. His next novel will take place in an illegal settlement in the West Bank.