The Settlers
Filmmaker and journalist Louis Theroux has never been one to shy away from difficult topics, even if it puts him in direct danger. In 2011, he entered the heart of the West Bank to document the rise of illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine in his film Ultra Zionists. With the escalating political situation accelerating anti-Palestinian sentiments, Theroux returns with The Settlers to discover that what was once a fringe movement has since gained traction, spurred on by Hamas’s attacks on Israel in October 2023. As the number of illegal settlers increases, Theroux’s latest documentary highlights the growing danger that Palestinians face alongside the brazen rhetoric of those spearheading the push to occupy Palestine.
Whereas the subjects in his last documentary carefully danced around accusations of discrimination and oppression by claiming their intentions were purely religious, those on camera are frighteningly more open about their views this time. A Texan living in the West Bank, who’s never seen without an automatic weapon, for example, proudly declares Palestinians to be violent “jihadists” with no rightful claim to their land. More shocking is when Theroux sits down with Daniella Weiss, the “Godmother” of the settler movement, who explains her extremist views and downplays allegations of war crimes with a smile and laugh. Perhaps more damning than the language the subjects use is a shared belief that their actions are above the law. “There are some things that transcend the whims of legislation,” is how the Texan phrases it to Theroux.
This disregard of the law is evident throughout the documentary. There’s a scene where Theroux and his crew find themselves in a house on which soldiers have their guns trained. Another sees olive pickers forced to leave the area under threat of violence. The tensest, however, is when Theroux is confronted by masked soldiers who aggressively attempt to get him to leave with them. These moments are substantially more severe than the confrontations between Palestinians and soldiers shown in Ultra Zionists.
Theroux has once again delivered a provocative piece of documentary filmmaking with The Settlers as he lays bare the intensifying situation within the West Bank and the dangerous views of those involved in the movement.
Andrew Murray
The Settlers is released on BBC iPlayer on 27th April 2025.
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