Journalist's 8-Month Journey Through Judea & Samaria Exposes Leadership Crisis

The Sovereignty Challenge: 'Stop the Nonsense'

Tenenbom's harshest words were reserved for government ministers representing the settlement movement. "For the first time, there's a full right-wing government here," he stated bluntly. "Why aren't you applying sovereignty? On the ground, this isn't the State of Israel. Stop with the nonsense. Ninety-eight percent of the country doesn't understand what you're talking about when you discuss legal technicalities. Is this land yours? Take it."

His critique extends beyond policy paralysis to what he perceives as a deeper psychological issue. According to Tenenbom, settlement leaders have become comfortable with the current ambiguous status. "They've fallen in love with the immediate struggle, with their special bourgeois existence," he argued. "If you annex Alon Moreh, what's the difference between them and Givatayim? Suddenly you're not a 'special settler,' you're just a regular Israeli. And they don't want to be 'just' Israelis."

Recent government actions appear to contradict Tenenbom's assessment. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has stated publicly that Israel's settlement expansion is being conducted with full coordination with the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ambassador Mike Huckabee. Smotrich emphasized that more than 51,000 housing units in Judea and Samaria have been approved since 2022, and the government recently reestablished the Sa-Nur settlement after 20 years, with sixteen families moving into the northern Samaria site.

The Balata Incident: When Ideology Meets Reality

One of the most striking anecdotes from his journey involved a visit to the Balata refugee camp, accompanied by an Israeli peace activist. The activist, according to Tennenbaum, regularly advocates for Palestinians on social media, portraying them as victims of Israeli oppression while characterizing Jews as aggressors.

"He thinks Palestinians are the sweetest and most righteous people in the world, and Jews – God help us," he recounted. However, when they actually entered Balata and the activist heard Arabic speakers saying "Yehudim" (Jews), his demeanor changed dramatically. "He simply trembled and shook. His hands and legs were shaking. This is someone who dedicates his life to them on Facebook, but on the ground, he's terrified."

The activist allegedly threatened legal action if Tenenbom published the account. "I told him: 'Sweetheart, you don't have a case, everything is recorded.' He was simply afraid they'd discover that between him and the Palestinians, there isn't really love, but fear."

The Crisis Within Religious Zionism

Beyond political leadership, Tenenbom identified a deeper ideological crisis affecting Religious Zionist communities in Judea and Samaria. He pointed to significant attrition among the younger generation, with many abandoning the religious lifestyle of their parents.

"The parents no longer believe in the path, it's just comfortable for them there," he observed. "Religious people are producing secular children. I met them later as waiters in Florentin, with tattoos and long hair. They were settlers, and today their father no longer believes."

'The Truth Hurts, But It's the Medicine'

When asked whether his direct and unvarnished writing style offends people, he remained unapologetic. "The most hurtful thing is the truth," he stated. "People sit with me for hours, pouring out their hearts because they need these things to come out, but when they see it in black and white in a book, they panic."

Despite the criticism his work generates, he insists his books are ultimately expressions of affection for the communities he documents. "The settlers are human beings, they're not perfect. Anyone who comes to me with complaints needs a psychologist. Your medicine is on the table, stop being 'settlers' and become Israelis."

Tenenbom summarized his eight-month journey through what he calls "Y"M" (Biblical Israel) as a love story for the land and its history, one that demands the courage to confront reality without walls or excuses. His message to settlement leaders remains uncompromising: if you truly believe this land belongs to the Jewish people, stop playing the victim and act accordingly.