The dissent seen amongst Israeli settlers does not mean that they are opposed to the occupation and genocide of Palestinians, rather it is against the manner in which the Netanyahu administration is handling it.

This is the contention of Palestinian political commentator, Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh. He was speaking as a general strike has brought the Zionist economy to a standstill. The strike, led by the Histadrut labor union, aims to pressure Netanyahu’s cabinet to secure the release of settlers held as prisoners of war in Gaza.

This action followed the discovery of six settlers’ bodies in Rafah. Protesters blocked major roads in Tel Aviv and other cities, demanding immediate action. Key sectors, including universities and municipalities have joined the strike.

“It’s not a major shift in Israeli policies or colonisation or anything else. There is an attack on the West Bank. Destruction of infrastructure, including streets and water and killing of Palestinians and closure of cities only strengthens the Apartheid rules. So this is going to happen under Netanyahu or Gallant.” said Qumsiyeh.

Ben Gurion Airport halted flights for two hours on Monday morning. Opposition leader Yair Lapid voiced his support for the strike. However, Qumsiyeh said that the protests are similar to how white South Africans under Apartheid were united in subjugating black people, but were against the violence of the regime.