I Met a Sanctioned Settler

On November 18th, the Biden Administration rolled out a new round of sanctions against Jewish farmers and businesses. As I began to skim the list of names and businesses, I was immediately struck with shock as I realized I had met one of the farmers a week before. 

Zohar Sabah: Is He a Violent and Destructive Settler?

A wave of emotions occupied me as I realized the man whom I had met just a week before and had served me Turkish coffee and tea; the man who had introduced me to his family, whose daughter had turned three the same day I visited him; this man was sanctioned by the U.S. government. In the time I had spent at his farm, I had experienced nothing other than a loving husband and father who also loved the land that he called home. 

After some research, a video surfaced of people from his farm going into a Bedouin village with clubs and harassing the “innocent” people living there. This was starkly different from the man I had met, so I commissioned myself to see if anything had led to this event.

Were His Actions Unjustified?

Prior to the entrance of the Bedouin village, Palestinians from this village had attacked one of Zohar’s shepherds. During the attack, they had beaten him and inflicted a head injury. This is not the only instance of attacks on Jewish shepherds. 

Some months before this attack, a 14 year-old boy was attacked and viciously murdered while shepherding his sheep. 

Could this attack have been a reminder of the boy’s death and created a need to prevent this outcome from happening to his own shepherd or his young children? Only each individual is able to decide if Zohar’s actions were justified or not.

(Disclaimer: Naturally, I have not have not visited Zohar or his farm since his sanctioning and am prohibited from providing any support or assistance to Zohar while he is under a sanctioned status.)

Some folks would say that an argument could still be made for the people who attacked Zohar’s shepherd:

“They have to attack Jews because they are under Israeli oppression.”

Let’s dig into why “Israeli oppression” isn’t actually the cause of violence in Judea and Samaria.

The Violence is Due to Religion

You’ve heard that Zionist extremists are the reason for violence, right? That’s not actually the reality currently or historically. Here are some instances where mass murders were inflicted on the Jewish people.

• In 1929, while Israel was still under the British mandate, the Jewish community in Hebron was attacked after the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin Al-Husseini, claimed the Jews were endangering Muslim holy sites on the Temple Mount.
• In 2000, the Second Intifada, also known as the al-Aqsa Intifada, began after Likud leader Ariel Sharon ascended the Temple Mount.
• In 2023, the October 7th attack was called the al-Aqsa Flood by the attackers, indicating that this too was an attack of religion.

There’s a direct connection between each of these attacks: they all relate to the Temple Mount.

Why is the Temple Mount the Cause of These Massacres?

The Temple Mount is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest spot in Judaism. For Jews and Christians, it is believed that this is the location where God spoke the world into existence, where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, and it is known to be the location of both Temples of the one true God. 

In Islam, it’s believed that Muhammed made the journey from Mecca (the holiest spot in Islam) to Jerusalem on a winged creature and led Jesus, Moses, and Abraham (who are believed to be Muslim prophets in Islam) in ritual prayer. Following that, Muhammed ascended to heaven to meet God. 

Since both groups consider this site holy, it is a natural flashpoint for hostility. The difference is the groups’ actions. Muslims have complete religious freedom on the Temple Mount currently, whereas the Jewish people (and other people like Christians) are only allowed to ascend the Temple Mount at certain times, are not allowed to have any religious texts, are not allowed to pray, nor are allowed to kneel or prostrate. 

Additionally, when Muslims go up on the Temple Mount, no violence ensues. However, when Jewish people ascend the Temple Mount at their allotted times, it is labeled as “Jews storming the Temple Mount” and vicious attacks, like the ones listed prior, follow. 

The Real Conflict is Religion, Not Law

In reality, the conflict is due to the fight over the land. This fight for land in Judea and Samaria is directly linked to the fight for freedom on the Temple Mount. If this were not the case, then communities such as the Bedouin village across from Zohar Sabah, would be sanctioned for the following:

• Illegally residing without permits on Israeli state land.
• Initiating violence.
• Destabilizing peace.
• Theft.

But Bedouins, who have a lengthy history of stealing land are not being sanctioned, nor are Arabs illegally living and building on Area C land. This is because the fight is not related to “international law” but is to remove a Jewish presence from the Jewish ancestral homeland and, in turn, inhibit Jewish sovereignty on the Temple Mount. 

Do You Believe the Promises of God?

The entire land of Israel was promised to Abraham and his descendants and it is prophesied that there will once again be a house of prayer for all nations. These promises and prophecies will remain unfulfilled until Jewish sovereignty is applied to Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem. If we as Christians believe in the promises of God, then we must also be engaged in the conflict for the land and advocate for a Jewish presence in the land allotted to them and for Jewish freedom on the Temple Mount.