I wrote an op-ed with Mairav Zonszein published today in Ha’aretz:

Despite being classified by the Israeli government as an “illegal outpost,” Hilltop 26 is actively protected by the Israel Defense Forces.

In this time of heightened discussion regarding Israeli settlement expansion, a topic that figured prominently in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Barack Obama earlier this week, the conversation often centers on the challenge of removing settlers from settlements and outposts. This focus is misleading. Instead, attention should be drawn to how the IDF is both actively and passively involved in the creation and maintenance of outposts throughout the territories, as the body implementing decisions on the ground.

Read the full piece here.