Exposing the Zionist settler-colonial mindset: A review of Holy Redemption

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  by Yilmaz Acar

The investigative documentary Holy Redemption produced by TRT World offers a striking exposé of the violent, religiously-fuelled Zionist ideology behind Israel’s illegal settler movement in the Occupied West Bank. By infiltrating the most radical settler groups like the Hilltop Youth, known as “Israel’s Daesh”, the film exposes Israel’s long-term colonial strategy to displace Palestinians and expand territorial control to create “Greater Israel” through violence, intimidation and land seizure.

Filmed shortly after the onset of the Gaza genocide on 7 October, the documentary uses exclusive footage and testimonies from settlers and their victims, far-right extremist politicians and former Israeli soldiers, shedding light on Israel’s broader systematic campaign of genocidal violence and ethnic cleansing.

At the heart of Holy Redemption is the belief among Israeli settlers that their violent expansion is divinely ordained, rooted in Biblical mandates. Radical groups like the Hilltop Youth view themselves as fulfilling a divine mission to reclaim the holy land promised by God, stretching from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea, and even as far as “the Euphrates to the Nile,” as Daniella Weiss, a prominent settler leader, declares. Weiss envisions expanding settlements across more hilltops, extending beyond Palestine into neighbouring countries.

And she expects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to authorise them, including some in Syria and Gaza, to realise the vision of Greater Israel.

Settlers use religious texts to argue that Palestinians have no rightful claim to the land, framing their settlement and population expansion as a Biblical mandate. Their commitment to this expansionist vision is so strong that they are prepared to resist, even fighting Israeli soldiers, should there be orders to dismantle the settlements. This is emphasised in the documentary by Nati Rom, a self-proclaimed Zionist pioneer and lawyer for the criminal settlers. Rom further invokes messianic prophecies, stating: “We shall continue to the mountains of Samaria, and here we are. This is part of the redemption.”

This messianic justification aligns with state policy, as Netanyahu’s genocidal Amalek rhetoric legitimises (in Zionist eyes) the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza genocide. Rabbi Joshua Mordechai Schmidt also cites the Torah to provide religious justification for the settlements, reinforcing the settlers’ conviction that they are acting under divine mandate.

READ: Israel approved over 80 illegal settlement plans in occupied West Bank, Jerusalem since 2022: Palestinian authorities

Holy Redemption reveals the brutality of settler violence against Palestinians, fuelled by extremist Zionist ideology. It documents settlers attacking Palestinian homes, schools, and farmlands systematically, with the destruction of olive groves aimed at erasing Palestinian cultural heritage. Water systems are destroyed, wells poisoned, homes demolished and livestock killed, all as part of a strategy to render life unbearable and unliveable for Palestinians, turning their daily existence into a nightmare.

The settlements and outposts are positioned strategically on hilltops, overlooking Palestinian towns and refugee camps, asserting psychological and physical dominance through architectural warfare.

Settlers terrorise Palestinians daily through harassment, property destruction and violent assaults on villages.

They insult and harass residents, openly curse their religious values and figures, including Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and frequently set homes and cars ablaze, abduct children and kill residents.

The documentary highlights the infamous 2015 Duma arson attack, where settler Amiram Ben Uliel led a group to burn the Dawabsheh family’s home, killing 18-month-old Ali, who was burned alive, and his parents, who later succumbed to their severe injuries. The sole surviving family member, young Ahmad, was left with severe burns covering half his body. Shockingly, Holy Redemption captures settlers celebrating the tragedy, singing songs glorifying the killing of Palestinians, reflecting a deeply disturbing and maniacal mindset.

Moreover, Holy Redemption uncovers the direct support that settlers receive from the occupation state, with the military protecting and enabling their illegal actions, and even actively facilitating their violence against Palestinians.

Testimonies from former Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers reflect their regret for participating in an apartheid system that oppresses Palestinians. The documentary highlights the establishment of nearly 200 illegal outposts in the West Bank, many serving as military bases for attacks on Palestinians. It exposes the close coordination between state actors and armed Jewish gangs, including militias like the Agmar unit, composed primarily of indoctrinated and radicalised youth. Settlers receive military training to terrorise Palestinians even more.

The rise of Itamar Ben-Gvir, a former Hilltop Youth leader who incited violence against Palestinians and served as the lawyer for settler criminals including Amiram Ben-Uliel, the perpetrator of the Duma arson attack, along with far-right figures like Knesset member Son Har-Melech, who was seen on the boat watching the relentless bombardment of Gaza after a closed-door conference to settle Jewish families there, reflects the normalisation of extremism within Israeli politics and how settler violence is embedded in state policy.

Furthermore, the recent killing of Turkish-American activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi by Israeli soldiers during a peaceful protest alongside Palestinian farmers against illegal settlement expansions in Beita reveals the deep complicity between the military and settler violence, reflecting the extent to which settlers are backed by the Israeli state.

READ: Ben-Gvir threatens to withdraw from Israel government over potential ceasefire with Hezbollah

The documentary leaves no doubt that the violence perpetrated by settlers is not random, but part of a broader state-sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing, driven by a systematic dehumanisation of Palestinians and the pursuit of Jewish supremacy. The Palestinians are subjugated by severe movement restrictions, mass home demolitions and systemic land seizures, all designed to strip them of their humanity and reduce them to a life of survival under constant threat as part of Israel’s colonial project and apartheid regime.

It also exposes how settlers operate with complete impunity, protected by the military and judicial systems. Settler lawyer Rom mocks law enforcement openly, calling it mere “theatre” and exposing further the state’s complicity in these terrorist acts. These settlements are not only illegal under international law, as recognised by the UN and the international community, but many also lack official government approval under Israeli law, yet they continue to operate above the law.

The documentary reveals how Israel’s illegal settlements, expanding gradually since 1967, have shattered the feasibility of a two-state solution by strategically fragmenting Palestinian territories and making a contiguous Palestinian state impossible. Settler leader Weiss states bluntly there is “no chance whatsoever for establishing a Palestinian state.”

However, facing an unfavourable demographic balance in a scenario where Israel directly occupies all the Palestinian land, it is committing to ethnic cleansing and the violent expulsion of Palestinians to solidify its apartheid regime and ensure a Jewish majority and supremacy. This is tragically evident in the ongoing Gaza genocide.

Indeed, extremist Israeli settlers openly confess their violent fanaticism.

They are “ready for the big slaughter” of Palestinians, as one settler declared chillingly. “If we need to kill them all, we will.” Since 7 October, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 692 Palestinians in the West Bank, including over 158 children.

Awarded Best Documentary at the Al Jazeera Balkans Film Festival in Sarajevo 17 on September, the film reflects TRT World’s ongoing commitment, alongside Al Jazeera, to amplifying the Palestinian cause.

Holy Redemption is an unfiltered and powerful exposé of Israel’s illegal settler movement and systemic ethnic cleansing, revealing how state-backed settler violence, as a form of occupation and apartheid, is integral to a broader Zionist colonial project. In this regard, the film serves as an invaluable resource for human rights organisations and even the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

OPINION: The war of legitimacy: how the ICJ and UNGA challenged decades of Israel, US arrogance

The international community can no longer ignore Israel’s genocidal violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The recent UN resolution, passed by the General Assembly on 18 September with overwhelming support and backed by an ICJ advisory opinion, calls for an end to the Israeli occupation. For the very first time, a UN resolution on this issue contains a specific time frame. It is imperative that this resolution should be enforced, and the US must cease its military support for Israel’s genocidal war, which could eventually drag and neighbouring countries and the US into a costly regional conflict.

 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240930-exposing-the-zionist-settler-colonial-mindset-a-review-of-holy-redemption/