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Settling the Narrative: A Strategic Narrative and Social Identity Study of the Israeli Settlement Expansion

Vald, Emma LU and Ringbom, Moa LU (2026) FKVA23 20252
Department of Political Science
Abstract
The Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th 2023 constituted an event with great impact on both Israel and the Middle East, and much focus has been given to its effects in terms of the war in Gaza. Simultaneously, settlements in the West Bank have risen to unprecedented levels, and have increasingly been given explicit governmental support. Furthermore, official Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank area has increasingly become an explicitly expressed goal in contemporary Israeli politics. The increase in settlements affects the prospects of peace in the area both short- and long-term, as increased settlements are linked to increases in violence and displacements directed towards the Palestinian population and serves to hinder the... (More)
The Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th 2023 constituted an event with great impact on both Israel and the Middle East, and much focus has been given to its effects in terms of the war in Gaza. Simultaneously, settlements in the West Bank have risen to unprecedented levels, and have increasingly been given explicit governmental support. Furthermore, official Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank area has increasingly become an explicitly expressed goal in contemporary Israeli politics. The increase in settlements affects the prospects of peace in the area both short- and long-term, as increased settlements are linked to increases in violence and displacements directed towards the Palestinian population and serves to hinder the possibility of a peaceful solution to the conflict. These events have been given much less attention, both medially and scholarly.
This study examines the increased settlement activity in the West Bank with a theoretical framework derived from Strategic Narratives and Social Identity Theory. It is done by mapping the strategic narratives produced by Members of Knesset in the governmental parties regarding the West Bank before, directly after and approximately a year and a half after October 7th 2023. The study finds that the narratives increasingly link the settlement movement to Israeli identity, increased outgroup stereotyping of the Palestinian population, and increases the necessity of settlement expansion for achieving peace and security. The study suggests that the shift in narratives can have contributed to increased settlements, as they serve as a legitimising and justifying mechanism. (Less)
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author
Vald, Emma LU and Ringbom, Moa LU
supervisor
organization
course
FKVA23 20252
year
type
L2 - 2nd term paper (old degree order)
subject
keywords
Israeli Settlement Movement, West Bank, Israel, Social Identity Theory, Strategic Narratives.
language
English
id
9218189
date added to LUP
2026-04-10 14:44:35
date last changed
2026-04-10 14:44:35
@misc{9218189,
  abstract     = {{The Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th 2023 constituted an event with great impact on both Israel and the Middle East, and much focus has been given to its effects in terms of the war in Gaza. Simultaneously, settlements in the West Bank have risen to unprecedented levels, and have increasingly been given explicit governmental support. Furthermore, official Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank area has increasingly become an explicitly expressed goal in contemporary Israeli politics. The increase in settlements affects the prospects of peace in the area both short- and long-term, as increased settlements are linked to increases in violence and displacements directed towards the Palestinian population and serves to hinder the possibility of a peaceful solution to the conflict. These events have been given much less attention, both medially and scholarly.
This study examines the increased settlement activity in the West Bank with a theoretical framework derived from Strategic Narratives and Social Identity Theory. It is done by mapping the strategic narratives produced by Members of Knesset in the governmental parties regarding the West Bank before, directly after and approximately a year and a half after October 7th 2023. The study finds that the narratives increasingly link the settlement movement to Israeli identity, increased outgroup stereotyping of the Palestinian population, and increases the necessity of settlement expansion for achieving peace and security. The study suggests that the shift in narratives can have contributed to increased settlements, as they serve as a legitimising and justifying mechanism.}},
  author       = {{Vald, Emma and Ringbom, Moa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Settling the Narrative: A Strategic Narrative and Social Identity Study of the Israeli Settlement Expansion}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}