SRAEUS genocidal violence in occupied Gaza has understandably captured the world`s attention. Yet another pernicious campaign, overseen by the Zionist state, is underway in the West Bank, under the guise of illegal settlements what the Palestinian Authority accurately terms `settler terrorism`. The menace of unlawful Israeli settlements in the occupied territories came up during a recent UN Security Council debate, with states calling for a halt to these blatantly illegal outposts. The Pakistani delegate pointed out that settlements threaten the `viability of a future Palestinian state`, while the French representative said they fuel `instability`.

Illegal settlements have grown rapidly over the last few years; there are over 500 such unlawful communities, serving as home to hundreds of thousands of people comprising some of the most radical and violent members of Israel`s Jewish population.

Violence against native Palestinians is commonplace, as settlers carry out a campaign of ethnic cleansing and land grabs, blessed by the Zionist regime. As a senior UN official observed, `the West Bank is at the breaking point`, adding that settler violence had reached `unprecedented levels`.

The horrific violence in Gaza, and the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, have effectively buried the two-state solution. Israel has shown no intentions of honouring the so-called peace process.

As the Palestinian delegate to the UNSC debate asked: `How can Israeli militarism be justified while Palestinian pacifism is demanded?` Unless this double standard is addressed by the global community, a just resolution of the Palestine question is impossible. The remedy is seemingly clear; Israel must end the bloodbath in all the occupied territories, immediately halt and dismantle all illegal settlements, and commit itself to the twostate idea. But the international community will be hard-pressed to find any mainstream Israeli leader from the nominal left to the hard right who can commit to these principles.