The Daily - The Fight for the West Bank

Episode Date: September 2, 2026

Over the past year, there has been an increase in violence in the West Bank. Israeli settlers have terrorized Palestinians, set fire to their property, uprooted their olive groves and stolen their animals in an effort to drive them off their land. Rachel Abrams speaks to Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American in the West Bank, about the settlers who have arrived at his doorstep. Guest: Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American in the West Bank. Background reading:  With the world distracted by war, extremist settlers have intensified their attacks in the West Bank. An assault by Israeli settlers on Palestinians last week drew sharp rebukes. Photo: Ammar Awad/Reuters For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello? Hi, Louis. This is Rachel Abrams from The Daily. Hi, Rachel. Thank you so much for making time to speak with us. Thank you. Where are you physically right now? I am currently in my house in the West Bank under siege by Israeli settlers, extremists. We are not allowed to leave the property.

The settlers wants my family, the neighbor's family, to leave. So simply, they can steal the houses and take over. They want the entire land, the entire mountain, all the houses. What's happening right now, Louis? Like, are there settlers outside that you can see from inside your house right now? Yes, I am watching them as we speak. There's three settlers. That's about 300 to 400 yards from me.

They brought couches. And they sit in the sun. and moments ago, there's three soldiers. And I was watching, wondering what's the soldiers going to do to them. Are they going to arrest them? They're going to remove them. Are they going to tell them it's a close military zone? Because this is what they told me yesterday.

Absolutely, absolutely, they did nothing. They just looked around. They talked to them probably for five minutes. And they just left them. It's insane. From the New York Times, I'm Rachel Abrams, and this is the Daily. For the past year, there's been a huge increase in violence in the West Bank. Israeli settlers have been terrorizing Palestinians, setting fire to their property,

abrooting their olive groves, and stealing their animals, all in an effort to drive them off their land. According to the United Nations, more than a thousand Palestinians have been injured, and more than 20 killed so far just this year. That's more than twice the number of killings, as in 2025. But the settlers seldom face any consequences for their actions, in part because they receive broad support from the Israeli government. Today, we talked to Palestinian-American Louis Reedy in the West Bank

about the settlers that have arrived at his doorstep. It's Wednesday, September 2nd. When we called Louis Reedy, he was in his house in Kusra, a small village of about 5,000 people in the northern West Bank. Louis talked to us from his bedroom where he could look out the window and keep an eye on what was happening outside. I wonder whether you ever expected

that this would be your view? Absolutely not. This is actually Louis' second home. He normally lives in Ohio, where he emigrated to in 2004. The Kusra is where Louis grew up and never used to be like this. Back in the days,

we did not have no interest. with the settlers. They were not aggressive as happening right now. We did have a settlement next to our village. I remember that settlement when I was a kid. But we always told that it's going to be temporarily and there is going to be a peace agreement and they will leave. Soon, none of them will be here.

So just never done. dealt with any of them, never interact with any, just driving and past them, you know, that's it. Given that this was kind of a quiet period, Louis, what was it like to grow up in Kusra, the town of Kusra? So our town is really a good, special town. It's about 850 meters above sea level. So you can be on the mountain and looking down, you see the entire village. The weather here is beautiful. No matter how hot it is, you always have a breeze coming directly from the sea.

Most of the people was farmers. So there's a lot of olive trees, figs and grapes and beeches. And my family, we are nine brothers and one sister. Oh, wow. My dad, he used to have a junkyard with cars and part of parts. And my mom staying at home. We always gave her hard time dealing with nine brothers when we were kids. Boys really outnumbered her.

Yes, with only one sister. One of my favorite memories was school. Once a year, they used to arrange a road trip. It's like a vacation all day vacation. to take us to the Dead Sea. Oh, yeah. Because in that time, you know, there's Mediterranean Sea. It's only one hour.

But none of the West Bank residents allowed to go to the beach. And we always see it on TV. Kids jumping in the pools, swimming, but we never experienced it. So in that time probably was my first time. to swim in the water. And it was like a dream becomes true. To us, probably one of the most wonderful experience. So we did have a lot of good memories in Kostra.

Do you remember, Louis, when you first started thinking about emigrating to the United States? My older brothers, they were in the United States, early 90s, And that's why I thought I would have a better future and opportunity if I go to United States. So I applied for the University of Toledo. And I learned English there. So yes, I was the fortunate one to be in the United States and become a successful businessman. And even more fortunate that I end up for love and marry my wife. Now I have a beautiful family.

I have two girls. a 19 years old. She just started second year in college, Sam University, Toledo. Oh, you must be so proud. Yes. And I have 10 years old. She's started fifth grade two days ago. And, you know, they're born and raised in America. They know the American way. But we like them to know the Palestinian culture as well. So we take them, we bring them to visit often here. And they like it. And one time I bring my daughters here and they asked me how come we can't have our own house here. I started thinking about it.

I said, you know, we come here more often. Maybe that would be good for my retirement, the future. Maybe I'll start spending more time here in Kuswa when I get older. And I made my decision and I started building it on a beautiful mountain. It has a beautiful view. You can see Jordan, which is the country next to us. Jordan, I can see clearly, if I look to the left, to the west, I can see Tel Aviv, and sometimes I can see the sea from the same spot.

And the house, the way I design it, it's the American style. Everything is open. There is no doors whatsoever. I cared about the outside, the front yard, the back yard, the trees. I just wanted to be my peaceful and my retirement vacational home. Now, before I did this, I made sure that it is 100% legal. I started the blueprint. I took the blueprint to the government. The Israeli government. No, the Palestinian government, because this is a designated area B under the Palestinian Authority, under Oslo agreement, B area, they gave it to the Palestinian to control it.

So if I need to build and pull permits, I don't need to go to the Israelis. They tell me, go to the Palestinians. Okay. So you go and you check with the Palestinian Authority to confirm that you had the legal right to build this house. Correct, yes. So I went to the Palestinian Authority. They gave me the authorization in 2003. And I started the house.

and probably one of the most beautiful things I've ever done. I was proud of it. But never crossed my mind that one day the settlers will be able to come in Area B and claim that it belonged to them. Can you just describe the moment, the first moment, that you learned that settlers were encroaching on the house, that these tensions had really arrived at your doorstep? This started in January.

Uh-huh. My brother called me, said the settlers came on top of the mountain. They start coming down the hell, driving those ATVs. Every night checking out the areas, which houses have people, which house is empty. So I told my brother, I want you to install security cameras because it looks like it's not safe. So I put the security cameras. Then in March, 2.30 in the morning. I got notification someone at my house.

There's like four or five settlers, masks. They start jumping over the fence. They brought ladders, they bought tools, then they start doing the damages. What kind of damage did they do? Well, I had an automatic motorist for the gate. for the gates. They damaged that.

They start breaking the lights around all the yards. They stole all my routers, modems. They cut the main electricity panel wires. They damaged it. Cut in and damaging my security cameras. They went offline one by one, one by one. Believe or not, I watched them live. Back in Ohio.

Yes. in Ohio. After this incident, I talked to my brother and said, okay, we're going to fix it. We're going to put more security guard on the windows so they can't get in, brand new security cameras, fix the gates, fix the internet, fix the lights. And he did all this. Now he said, I'm going to move in. I'm going to move in with my family to protect the house. Wow. And he did. Louie, all of this sounds unbelievably stressful. But when do the settlers actually start camping out outside of your house. That was August 9th.

Israeli settlers, extremists. They brought like four ATVs. They parked them in front of the house. And they built a tent in front of the house. They start jumping over the fence. And again, when this happened, you know, I was back in Ohio. And every movement, I get a notification.

How did it feel Louis to be so far away watching all of this happening? That was, honestly, it was very stressful. Imagine that someone is attacking your family member and you're watching it live from distance. Literally, watching it live. That's what happened to me. And in that moment, my brother and his son, they were terrified. they're going to attack him inside the house.

So my brother called the police that night and they dispatched an IDF vehicle. But instead of helping my brother, they went straight to the tent. They celebrated with those settlers. They sat down with them and were basically chilling out with them and drinking. and they conducted prayer with those settlers.

And I'm talking to my brother, and we paused. My brother paused, and I paused too, and I asked him, what are we going to do next? Because we felt there are only few feet away taken over this house. And my brother, he said, I'm not leaving this house. I don't want to leave it. but I have an issue.

I have no food. When he said this, I said, you know what? I can't handle it anymore. I can't sleep. I'm going to book my flight. I'm going to come. I'll do whatever it takes for me to provide you food and protection and try to end the siege. We'll be right back.

Louis, how did your wife and your children feel about you flying back to the West Bank at a moment where it is so much more dangerous? Well, it was a tough decision, to be honest with you. Yes, they were terrified. They were stressing out, especially my 10 years old, asking me, is the settlers going to go inside the house while you were there? What's going to happen to you? Are you going to be safe? And sometimes I have to lie to her. I said, I'll be okay.

I'll be safe, even though that's not the case. I do feel for my own safety here because it is not safe. If I'm getting this right, I think you arrived about a week after the settlers first put that tent up outside of your house. That's when you first saw your brother after all this time knowing he was under threat. What was it like to see him for the first time? Well, we are brothers. Yeah, that's my brother. So to be with him and hug him for the first time.

It was a lot of emotion. And then I grabbed the American flag. This is what I brought. I brought it with me from Ohio all the way to Kusra to my house. I got to put it on the house over there. And I went on top of my house and I raised the American flags on my house. Oh. What were you trying to telegraph?

Usually when settlers steal a house, the first thing they do, they raise their own. on a flag on top of the house, it's a yellow flag. And I said, if it, God forbid, if this happens, if they want to raise it, they have to take the most powerful flag in the world, the American flag, and raise their flag. That's what's going to happen in theory. And that's the reason I put the American flag. Was any part of you also hoping that maybe the settlers would be more intimidated, knowing that an American was there?

They did not care because the next day, a settler stopped coming down toward me. And he dared to tell me myself, I need to leave because this is his land. That's my house. I'm in my house. I said, that's my land. And I told the Israeli soldiers they were present.

He needs to be on the move from here. He's illegal here. He needs to be removed because he's illegal. Was this your first interaction with the settler ever? It is. This is the first time I talked to a separer like this face-to-face, yes. I allowed to be in my house. And I told them that's my land and I'm staying here.

I'm not. I sold this up. Yeah, he's the one came to me. I didn't go to him. There you go. Since then, the IDF decided to come and remove the tent at front of the house. But now we are unable to leave freely in and out of our houses from the IDF.

They claim it's a closed military zone. What does that mean exactly? There is an IDF tent right now. Actually, I'm watching it as we speak. In front of my house, that one is bucking us leaving our own house or walking in the yard. And have you asked the IDF, like, why are you keeping me in my house? Like, what's the reasoning behind this?

Have you talked to any of the military people there? Yes. That was yesterday when I was walking in my yard. Please, operate, head back to the villa. I said, why can't walk in my yard, my own yard? I'm not trying to argue. I spoke with my commanding officer, okay, and he just said, whoever's here has to go back into the villa.

Please don't make me use force, all right? He said, please go unless we're going to use force against you. Wow. That's what he literally told me yesterday. Thank you. Can you tell me your name? So when I call, so I can tell him whoever trying to... My name is IDF, all right?

IDF spokesperson? No. IDF commander. IDF commander. Okay, I would listen. I'm not here to argue, no, no. So, you know, first we're dealing with the settlers. now the IDF is here,

they're still not able to move freely. So in a way, the same situation, the same results. Either way, settlers are our IDF. They're doing the same thing on us. Right. You want the soldiers to leave because they're enforcing this closed military zone where you can't move freely,

but you also fear what will happen with the settlers if the soldiers leave. It's an impossible situation. Exactly. And we still, as of today, able to spot settlers, able to walk around the house almost every day. I just want to mention here that the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said that the IDF and Israeli police did go to your house to remove what he described as, quote, Israeli terrorists at

Huckabee's request, at the U.S.'s request. And I guess I wonder whether you feel like in this moment the U.S. authorities could have or should have done more. I watched all Mike Huckab his interview, and every time he did condemn it, he did say that they are terrorists. And I appreciate all these comments. But that wasn't enough because nothing happened on the ground. I really wish that Mike Hacabee himself or sent a team from the U.S. Embassy to come visit my house. So them can witness what's going on here, what happening to an American citizen in the West Bank. But, Louie, don't you think that they know what's going on?

I mean, there's videos on the Internet. They've clearly made statements in response to this. I mean, it doesn't feel like the issue is that they don't know what's happening. I'm sure they do. I'm sure they do. And it's a question I always ask myself. Why everybody on the news, including the U.S. officials, including the Israeli officials, including the army, even the settlers, the leaders of the settlers, they condemned what the Israeli did in Kusra. Okay, why none of you able to move five to ten settlers, just go ahead, arrest them, put them in jail, prosecute them, and lift the siege on the residence in Kuswa and let them live in peace.

don't have the answer. You know, I'm thinking, Louis, of the person who might be listening to this and thinking, like, at the end of the day, it's just a building. It's just, it's just materials, right? Like, why is it so important to put yourself or your brother or anybody in your family in harm's way to protect a piece of property that isn't even your primary home? It's like your second house. Like, how would you explain why you and your brother and anybody else feels the need to, like, put yourself at risk for this place? Well, it's not really just the home. It's not about the home. It's about the entire land. And, you know, just maybe five years ago, I was walking. My father's land. And I know he inherited this from his father and from his grandfather. And I looked at a wall.

And I started looking at it and imagine it. I said, how many years? is it like 200 years, 300 years? Mm-hmm. And I took a rock. A rock? A rock, yes. It just like I felt there's emotion to that rock.

Maybe one of my great-grandpas touched it. Mm-hmm. And I grabbed it. And I just said, I'm going to take it. I took it home and I had it in my office in Ohio. It just remind me again, this is our land. The settlers are trying to steal. And what's been going on changed a lot of people's dreams.

And that's, I'm one of them. The dream that I thought of that I'm going to live in this house and peace, I don't see none of that happening while I see soldiers surrounding my house. and settlers are still able and come harassing me. To be honest with you, the general mood in the West Bank, it's hopeless. But it doesn't mean that we have to give up. We have to fight to protect our houses and stay in our land. Do you have any idea when you're going to go back to Ohio?

My wife asked me this question. I told her I'm living day by day. I will update her. It could be a couple weeks, it could be a couple months. I have no idea. But I'm staying here until I make sure my house is safe, my family is safe. I'll do my best on that. Louis Reedy, thank you so much for giving us all this time.

Thank you. Thank you for having me. When we reached out to the Israeli military for comment, they told us that the IDF is operating in GUSRA with the aim of, quote, protecting its residents and preventing confrontations. They also said that Louis Reedy is free to come and go from his house. But the family remains there, afraid to leave. The IDF is still stationed just outside the property, as are some settlers. When we asked the IDF if anyone has been arrested in connection with the case,

they told us to ask the police. We did ask the Israeli police, but they didn't respond. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Cuckabee, told us that the U.S. has a very strong engagement with the IDF. to act on behalf of U.S. citizens. Over the weekend, there were more violent attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has largely played down these attacks as the actions of a small minority,

issued a rare rebuke, condemning the attackers and calling their actions criminal. He said that they're causing, quote, immense harm to the law-abiding settler community and damaging, quote, Israel's standing in the world. We'll be right back. Here's what else you need to know today. On Tuesday, for the second time in three days, the U.S. attacked Iran, puncturing a month-long break in fighting between the two countries. Iranian officials said the latest American attacks caused significant damage

to sites across Iran's southern shores, including a military base. In a social media post, President Trump threatened even bigger strikes if Iran decides to retaliate. And the global market for guns, government bonds experienced a massive sell-off on Tuesday, pushing borrowing costs, which are closely tied to bonds, to some of their highest levels in decades. Analysts blamed the sell-off on a growing consensus that officials across the world will raise interest rates to tamp down inflation, lowering the value and the appeal of existing

bonds. Today's episode was produced by Claire Tennis Getter, Rochelle Bonja, and Lindsay Garrison. It was edited by Maria Byrne with help from Paige Cowett. and fact-checked by Susan Lee. It contains music by Pat McCusker and Alyssa Moxley, and was engineered by Alyssa Moxley. Our theme music is by Wonderly. Special thanks to David Halpinger, Aaron Boxerman, and Noam Blanks.

That's it for the Daily. I'm Rachel Abrams. See you tomorrow.