Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In August 1977, ITN travelled to the Israeli-occupied West Bank to interview Jewish settlers in the wake of Menachem Begin's election victory and the rise of a government more supportive of settlement expansion than its predecessors. Israel had captured the West Bank from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War and has maintained military control of the territory ever since.
The report includes interviews in Ofra, one of the first and most influential settlements established by activists from the religious-nationalist Gush Emunim movement. Among those featured is Aaron Factor, a British-born settler from Port Talbot who served as Ofra's head of security and was interviewed carrying an Uzi submachine gun. For many settlers, establishing communities in the West Bank was both a security measure and the fulfilment of an ideological and religious vision tied to the biblical Land of Israel.
Nearly five decades later, Ofra remains a substantial settlement with a population of more than 3,000 residents. Settlement construction and population growth in the West Bank have continued under successive Israeli governments, although the pace and extent of expansion have varied. The settlements, which critics argue undermine prospects for a negotiated peace with the Palestinians, remain one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They are widely regarded by much of the international community as illegal under international law, a position disputed by Israel.
#History #MiddleEastHistory #Israel #WestBank #Occupation #Settlers #IsraeliSettlers #WestBankSettlements #IsraelPalestine #IsraelPalestineConflict
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In August 1977, ITN travelled to the Israeli-occupied West Bank to interview Jewish settlers in the wake of Menachem Begin's election victory and the rise of a government more supportive of settlement expansion than its predecessors. Israel had captured the West Bank from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War and has maintained military control of the territory ever since.
The report includes interviews in Ofra, one of the first and most influential settlements established by activists from the religious-nationalist Gush Emunim movement. Among those featured is Aaron Factor, a British-born settler from Port Talbot who served as Ofra's head of security and was interviewed carrying an Uzi submachine gun. For many settlers, establishing communities in the West Bank was both a security measure and the fulfilment of an ideological and religious vision tied to the biblical Land of Israel.
Nearly five decades later, Ofra remains a substantial settlement with a population of more than 3,000 residents. Settlement construction and population growth in the West Bank have continued under successive Israeli governments, although the pace and extent of expansion have varied. The settlements, which critics argue undermine prospects for a negotiated peace with the Palestinians, remain one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They are widely regarded by much of the international community as illegal under international law, a position disputed by Israel.
#History #MiddleEastHistory #Israel #WestBank #Occupation #Settlers #IsraeliSettlers #WestBankSettlements #IsraelPalestine #IsraelPalestineConflict
To license the footage featured in this clip, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/search/2/film?family=editorial&phrase=AS140877002*
To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below:
gettyimages.co.uk/footage/itn
🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest Frontline by ITN videos!) - youtube.com/@FrontlinebyITN
🎥 Follow us on Twitter - twitter.com/ITNArchive
🎥 Like us on Facebook - facebook.com/ITNArchiveITNP
🎥 Check out our TikTok - tiktok.com/@itnarchive1955
