Palestinian villagers fear new settler outpost signals wider Galilee push

In September, a group of Israeli settlers built a temporary outpost on al-Rus hill, a site traditionally owned by the Arab village of Majd al-Krum, citing a Jewish National Fund grazing permit that, according to locals, was unused. The settlement quickly grew to 25-30 tents with basic utilities, prompting the police to close the road while Palestinian residents continued to ascend the steep hill on foot, by horse and in off-road vehicles, in a largely peaceful protest lasting about a week.

The Jewish National Fund ordered the removal of the tents, and by September 16 the camp was dismantled. The incident is being portrayed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as a test case for his plan to “Judaise” the Galilee, a rhetoric that has alarmed the village’s Popular Committee and residents who see it as a prelude to wider land grabs. The outpost sparked solidarity protests from nearby Arab towns and even some left-leaning Jewish locals.

Authorities later announced a relocation of the grazing project to a nearby plot, which the villagers rejected, insisting the original land is theirs. With national elections looming, Palestinian citizens of Israel are urged to turn out in large numbers, fearing that a far-right coalition could accelerate settlement expansion across the Galilee.