[arp242]

> A former commander of the Israeli army in the West Bank, Avi Mizrahi, says most settlers are law-abiding Israeli citizens, but he does admit the existence of outposts makes violence more likely. “Whenever you put outposts illegally in the area, it brings tensions with the Palestinians… living in the same area,” he says.

What a curious comment. People living in "illegal outposts" are "law-abiding citizens"?

This attitude is a big chunk at the root of the entire conflict.

[choeger]

"most settlers". Settlements can be legal according to Israeli law.

[arp242]

In that context it doesn't make much sense to me to be talking about all settlers, but rather about the specific settlers the article is about. But that bit is not a direct quote, and something may have been lost in translation in the first place, so hard to be sure what was intended.

Also most of the world (including the US) considers all settlements (and therefore, settlers) to be illegal, so there's that.

[starspangled]

Well they're just people living their lives. A person is not illegal or a criminal just because of where they choose to live, surely.

[arp242]

Let us continue this conversation after I set up my trailer in your back garden, and me and ten of my friends decide to just live our lives there.

Aside from the fact that it's explicitly illegal under law, even in abstract general terms your comment makes no sense.

[rebuilder]

If they’re participating in illegal activity, isn’t that the definition of a criminal?