Mary Robinson: Impunity Fuels Ethnic Cleansing in the West Bank

Returning to the region after a previous trip in 2023, Robinson observed a drastic acceleration in government-backed policies designed to marginalize Palestinian communities. She points to the rhetoric of far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir as evidence of a deliberate effort to dehumanize the population. This official stance is mirrored on the ground, where unauthorized outposts receive immediate state support in the form of infrastructure, electricity, and water, despite their illegality under Israeli law.

The Elders, a collective founded by Nelson Mandela, now characterizes the reality on the ground as a blatant apartheid system. Robinson notes that the emboldened nature of these actions stems from a lack of international consequences. During her mission to Brussels, she urged European leaders to move beyond rhetoric, arguing that the cycle of displacement and fear is no longer a hidden byproduct of conflict, but a calculated policy of ethnic cleansing.