For many millennials, the Oregon Trail video game was a classroom staple—a lesson in perseverance as settlers braved harsh conditions for a better life. But as we grew up, we grappled with the darker side of that story: the atrocities inflicted on Native Americans whose land was taken, families shattered, and cultures suppressed. It's a painful legacy that many Americans still struggle to reconcile.
Now, a similar dynamic is playing out in the West Bank, and it’s time to stop romanticizing the term 'settler' and start calling it what it is: an invasion. The Israeli government, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is overseeing a systematic takeover of Palestinian territories, with over half a million Israelis moving into the West Bank and a quarter million into East Jerusalem since 2008. During that same period, more than 2,000 Palestinians have been killed and 102,000 injured, according to available data.
The Language of Occupation
The term 'settler' evokes images of pioneers carving out a life in an empty frontier. But the West Bank is far from empty—it's home to nearly 3 million Palestinians with deep roots stretching back centuries. These aren't new lands; they are established communities where Israeli citizens, often backed by the military, seize property, block roads, and displace families. The international community—from the U.N. to the European Union and Arab states—has condemned these actions, yet Israel insists it's within its rights, and U.S. policy under President Trump has fluctuated between condemnation and support.
Trump has publicly opposed annexation, but his ambassador, Mike Huckabee, has advocated for Israel to claim the territory. Netanyahu's government has made clear it views the land as theirs, using the Israel Defense Forces to enforce seizures. This isn't settlement; it's a hostile takeover.
Double Standards in Terminology
The hypocrisy is glaring. Republicans like Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Vice President JD Vance label immigrants to the U.S. as 'invaders,' even though those immigrants seek to assimilate, not steal land. Meanwhile, Israelis who displace Palestinians and seize property are called 'settlers.' The only excuse for American westward expansion was the lack of internationally recognized borders—a justification that doesn't apply to the West Bank, where Palestinian presence is long-established.
As President Trump pushes his agenda, including efforts to reshape the federal government with loyalists, the administration's mixed signals on settlements undermine any pretense of evenhandedness. The U.S. must decide whether it will continue to enable what many see as an invasion.
A Call for Honest Language
Invaders take by force, occupy, and plunder resources. That's exactly what is happening in the West Bank. If we truly want peace, we need to call out these actions for what they are. As the debate over voter suppression and economic woes dominates U.S. politics, the ongoing crisis in the West Bank cannot be ignored. The parallels to America's own painful history are too stark to dismiss. We must choose a different path—one that doesn't repeat the mistakes of the past.
Joslin Joseph is a recipient of the Military Reporters and Editors award for Best Commentary-Opinion. A graduate of Harvard and Ohio State, he is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq. He currently lives in Anaheim, Calif.
