Like most rational people I have always seen the Israeli settlers in the Palestinian lands as part of the Israeli army, an army not wearing the usual uniform, but still an army of occupation. They move in, occupy and secure the foreign territory and defend it against the rightful owners, the Palestinians. If need be, they call in reinforcements in the shape of the unformed Israeli army. It seems now that even the Israeli army is admitting this, as they are starting to train the settlers to defend the land they have occupied. Settlers occupying land frees up the uniformed army to get on with the job of repressing the local indigenous people. A similar type of genocide that was pursued by the settlers on the indigenous people of that land we call America, but with a much more efficient weaponry. Palestine is the "Wild West" and the Palestinians are the "indians" of the 21st century.
