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Scoop
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
The Fanatic's Gaze: Louis Theroux And The West Bank Settlers
He has made it his bread and butter for years: finding society's kooky representatives, the marginal, the crazed and the touched. But what makes Louis Theroux's The Settlers troubling is its examination of a seemingly inexorable process in the West Bank, one that has, at its core, a religious, nationalist goal of cleansing and violent purification. The documentary captures Israel's modern colonial project in real time, and it is one most ugly. The target of the cleansing and eradication – the Palestinians in the West Bank – is awesomely horrific, rationalised by suffocating checkpoints, brooding military posts and endless harassing points of invigilation. Having already made The Ultra Zionists, a documentary on the same subject in 2011, Theroux finds, notably after the attacks by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, a missionary project of hardened purpose. The edge on the 'ultra' has been taken off. The fringe has moved to the centre. Sanitised areas (the language of ethnic scrubbing) pullulate with armed settlers holding forth with pious defiance in outposts of a land seen as promised to them. One figure interviewed, the gun-toting Texas-born settler Ari Abramowitz, sees the Bible as supplying Jews 'a land deed to the West Bank.' Palestinian shopfronts remain closed for security reasons, and Palestinians barred from visiting designated areas without appropriate approval. Theroux's guide and local peace activist Issa Amro is unable to accompany him to areas in Hebron where settlers are offered continuous military protection. When Theroux and his guides visit a ruined Palestinian home in Tuwuni in the night, an IDF patrol with laser sights is not far behind. At one checkpoint, Theroux is accosted by a balaclava-wearing Israeli soldier, provoking him to bark 'Don't touch me'. They are solid reminders to Palestinians living in the West Bank that they are living on borrowed time, a measure that diminishes with each day. Daniella Weiss emerges as a central character, a figure who has led the Israeli settler movement for half a century. She reveals being clandestinely escorted by the sympathetic soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces into Gaza to scout for possible future settlements. (800 families, goes the proud claim, await moving into them.) She grins, mocks and scorns, but does, at some point, demonstrate to Theroux her view about settler violence. For her, it does not exist. In that familiar pattern, even if it did exist, it would be justifiable because of Palestinian violence. When Theroux says he had seen a video of a Palestinian being shot, Weiss retorts that the Israel shooter was merely retaliating. She proceeds to shove him, hoping he returns the serve. He considers the display sociopathic. Yet sociopathy and the limitless well of self-defence are firm friends for Weiss and any number of IDF personnel and lawyers who see their cause as worthy. All are incapable of violence, incapable of genocide. Critics have taken issue with the lens of the documentary, suggesting that the camera can deceive because of its sharp focus. The sampling of settlers shows them as almost comically villainous, their fanaticism icy and cruelty assured. The British-Palestinian writer and activist John Aziz was frustrated by the 'selection of nasty extremists who lurched between denying the existence of Palestinians and expressing the desire to conquer more land and drive out the Arab inhabitants.' He even takes issue with the keen interest in Weiss, curious given that any program about Israeli settlements would look bare without her starring role. Aziz misses the point in his demand for an elusive nuance. People once seen as marginalised pioneers seeking land in the West Bank have become the spear of the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After October 7, 2023, it has become modish to entertain notions of expulsion, dispossession and seizure, to finally bury Palestinian notions of self-determination. National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party and follower of the teachings of Meir Kahane, a Brooklyn rabbi who, after moving to Israel, declared 'the idea of a democratic Jewish state [a] nonsense', is symptomatic of this shift. Convicted on eight charges, among them supporting a terrorist organisation and incitement to racism, Ben-Gvir regularly advocates ethnic cleansing of both the West Bank and Gaza. In May this year, the Israeli Security Cabinet initiated the land registration process in Area C in the West Bank, a process which determines final ownership of land and extinguishes other claims. The Ministry of Defense was unequivocal about the goal of this move in a statement: 'to strengthen, consolidate, and expand Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria.' While the Israeli settlers seem to fail to see the Palestinians as human beings with valid territorial claims, international law has little time for the legality of the settlements. They are structures of a colonising project, and one regarded as unlawful. In its advisory opinion from July 2024, the International Court of Justice found that Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was 'a wrongful act of a continuing character which has been brought about by Israel's violations, through its policies and practices, of the prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force and the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.' The settler project can also count on abundant support from the private sector. In her report to the UN Human Rights Council From economy of occupation to economy of genocide Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, lashes 'corporate entities' international and local who have been enriched by 'the Israeli economy of illegal occupation, apartheid and now genocide.' This includes heavy investments in the West Bank colonising enterprise, be it through supplying logistics, construction equipment and building materials. With the Israeli settlers being the shock troops of the Israeli State, Weiss's boast captured by Theroux is being realised: 'We do for governments what they can't do for themselves.'
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'BBC's The Settlers is Louis Theroux at his best showing humanity at its worst'
Documentary-maker Louis Theroux takes the divisive Israeli settlements in Palestine as his subject. Amnesty International describe the crisis as a 'genocide', while an interviewee in The Settlers says it is 'normal' Veteran documentarian Louis Theroux is famed for his particular brand of quiet and quizzical looks as interviewees speak themselves into a corner. He's covered everything from Joe Exotic to interviews with Rita Ora. But this new documentary The Settlers is different: Louis challenges his interviewees, namely ethno-nationalist grassroots leader Daniella Wiess, also known as 'the godmother of settler movement.' The Settlers, which is available on BBC iPlayer, is a revisiting of the subject explored in a previous Theroux documentary The Ultra Zionists (2011). Speaking to the BBC, Louis says of this recording that since the attacks in Israeli where hostages were taken by Hamas on October 7, that "these religious nationalist settlers have been emboldened to go further, to push harder, to harass their Palestinian neighbours and to attempt to drive them out." While viewing The Settlers there is an infused knowledge that this is, by Amnesty International's measure, a genocide. These candid conversations with Israeli settlers come cloaked with the life and deaths occurring in Gaza. It is not everyday that I review a piece that comes with a ticking-death toll that has been ever-increasing since October 7th, 2023. But here we are. At time of writing this, the death toll is more than 50,000, as reported by the BBC. The documentary opens with a scene of tourists, standing at the border of southern Israel, looking on through binoculars towards Gaza, as smoke billows in the wake of explosions that have decimated the area. Louis, in an interview to the BBC about this episode, said that filming felt like being "immersed in a dystopian movie". While the documentary focuses on the West Bank, the view is outward towards Gaza too. The West Bank was occupied through war in 1967, and since then Israeli settlers have lived illegally under international law. The settlers documented on the show see the war on Gaza as an opportunity. At one rally, Louis says that "families are being enlisted to be part of this whole project of putting hundreds of new families, new settlements, in Gaza literally as it's being bombed." Another Israeli group protested this event, calling for a ceasefire and for a return of the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. A spokesperson for the group said: "The idea of resettling in Gaza is absolutely ridiculous. The question is: what kind of country do we want to be? Do we want to be a coloniser country? Or do we want to be a country that at least offers peace and wants to live in peace with Palestinians? That has to be what we strive for." But this strife for peace is not always a given. In an interview with the BBC, Louis says: "What is taking place is, by any reasonable person's assessment, deeply troubling." Settler Daniella Weiss is at the heart of the film. Weiss, by her own admission, has been involved in 'almost every one' of the settlements in the West Bank over the previous fifty years. Louis asks her: "Because it is territory that was won in the '67 war, under the Geneva Convention, transferring a civilian population into a conquered terrain that is considered a war-crime." Weiss responds: "It's a light felony." At the close of the episode, Louis and his camera crew are documenting another rally organised by Weiss. She denies the existence of settler violence, and instead argues that this is a perception created by videos circulated on social media not showing the full picture. To illustrate this, she shoves Louis. Here marks, for me as a long time viewer of Theroux's work, a stark moment; there is a noticeable change in approach. Weiss, in an attempt to reason that her approach is just and right, says: "I think about: I'm a Jew. I'm a settler. I'm a human being." But Louis says: "Thinking of your own people to the exclusion… it would be understandable to think of your own people or your own children first, but to think about other people, other children, not at all, that seems sociopathic, doesn't it?" A little ripple of a smile comes over Weiss's face as she tells him: "Not at all. This is normal." In a haunting scene, she walks away, quipping back that she wished Louis had shoved her back. In Louis's words, this is "extreme ideology delivered with a smile." I've watched hundreds of journalist reports and documentaries, and The Settlers is heart-breaking. As a historical document, this film is worthy of a BAFTA for its contribution to our collective understanding of a continually unfolding humanitarian crisis in Palestine. This is Louis at his best showing humanity at its worst.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Who is Louis Theroux, the director of the viral documentary series, 'The Settlers'?
Image credits: Getty Images Recently, a new documentary titled 'The Settlers' was released on BBC iPlayer . Directed by Louis Theroux , the documentary is shot in the Israeli settlements in the West Bank where Theroux is revisiting the subject of a documentary he made in 2011, The Ultra Zionists. In both these documentaries he focuses on Jewish people who, motivated by religious nationalism, have broken international law and settled in Palestine. While Theroux may have made the documentary to shed light on the increased number of people following the ideology and how it had affected the lives of the Palestinians, his work has been receiving rave reviews on social media with people commending him on showcasing the mentality and activities of the settlers. "Louis Theroux you proved why you are thee best at documentaries, you shone the light of truth on these maniacs without breaking a sweat. They dug their own holes with their own mouths" wrote a person on X. "The horror - the daily horror - of what happens in the West Bank gets far too little mainstream coverage. It's great to see someone with Theroux's profile expose a new audience to this reality. Watch it, share it." wrote another. But who is Louis Theroux and why is his documentary the talk of the hour? Who is Louis Theroux? 120742794 Born on May 20th, 1970, Louis Theroux is a British-American documentarian born in Singapore. He was born to Anne Castle, an English teacher and Paul Theroux, an American travel writer and novelist. Theroux spent most of his childhood in London where he attended the Westminster School before graduating with first-class honours from the Magdalen College, Oxford in Modern History. After graduation he moved to the states where he began his journalism career with Metro Silicon Valley and then worked for a magazine Spy. He also ventured into the television industry as a correspondent for Michael Moore's TV Nation. He has been married to Nancy Strang since 2012 and shares three children with her. Throughout his career of three decades, he has explored various other profiles such as journalist, broadcaster and author. Louis Theroux- the Documentarian Image credits: X/@theafroaussie While his entire professional life has been a part of media one way or the other, what Theroux is famous for are his documentaries, especially with BBC. He has created many famous works such as Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends and When Louis Met... Through his work, he has explored various topics such as crime, justice, and unusual unique themes as well. He has travelled to countries such as Israel, Nigeria, South Africa and more. However, during and after Covid, Theroux started a podcast with BBC Radio 4 titled 'Grounded with Louis Theroux' and in 2023 he moved to create 'The Louis Theroux Podcast' with Spotify. 'The Settlers' marks Theroux's first work of documentation post the lockdown and thus was eagerly awaited by fans of his work. Why is 'The Settlers' going viral Image credits: X/@theafroaussie Louis Theroux's 'The Settlers' comes at a time when the Israel-Hamas war is an ongoing reality. While he had already explored the topic in his 2011 documentary, as mentioned above, this time more eyes were on 'The Settlers' as it has been shot in a region that has been plagued by war and deaths for more than a year. In his documentary viewers not only get to see the mindset of the settlers but also of the military guarding the area and how they treat Jews and Palestinians. Theroux can also be seen in conversation with Daniella Weiss , who has been the head of the settler movement for the past 50 years.
Express Tribune
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
The Settlers: Louis Theroux returns to the West Bank in new BBC documentary
Louis Theroux's latest BBC documentary, The Settlers, has ignited debate after examining the growth of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories. Returning to the West Bank 14 years after The Ultra Zionists, Theroux presents a more direct and confrontational style as he embeds himself within settler communities and captures the tensions faced by Palestinians. During filming, Theroux and his crew faced repeated confrontations, including incidents where guns were pointed at them while visiting Palestinian homes. In key scenes, Theroux challenges settlers over their treatment of Palestinians, notably confronting Daniella Weiss and calling her a 'sociopath' during a discussion about settler violence. Photo: BBC The film concludes with Theroux taking shelter with Palestinians as Israeli forces search nearby areas. When he asks if they can contact the police, the Palestinians respond with, "Which police?", highlighting the lack of protective authority available to them. The Settlers has drawn mixed reactions since its premiere. Some social media users accused Theroux of bias and antisemitism, while others praised the film for providing an important perspective on a complex and ongoing conflict. Comparisons have been made to the BBC's earlier documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone, which was withdrawn amid controversy. The Settlers aired on BBC Two on 27 April and is available for streaming on BBC iPlayer. While not officially released outside the United Kingdom, clips and excerpts from the documentary have been widely shared on social media platforms.
The National
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Louis Theroux: The Settlers showcases grim reality of West Bank
The documentarian's latest film, Louis Theroux: The Settlers, is among some of his best works. In the somewhat sequel to his 2011 documentary The Ultra Zionists about Israeli religious nationalists building illegal settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Theroux finds himself in the territory 14 years later, with the colonisation process far more advanced and even more deadly. Following the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, while the world's gaze is fixed on the atrocities being carried out in Gaza, nationalists are violently encroaching more into Palestinian land along the West Bank. READ MORE: Louis Theroux opens up on The Settlers documentary Backed by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his alliance with the country's religious far-right, settlers are emboldened in their actions as they are protected by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). The situation in the West Bank is dire, and Theroux does his best to showcase the fact. Theroux and his crew repeatedly find themselves subjected to many of the confrontations and intimidation by Israeli settlers and the IDF, which Palestinians endure every day. In one scene, settlers drive up and point guns with laser sights through the windows of a Palestinian's home at him. In another, he asks checkpoint guards to lower their weapons while he talks with them. In one particularly intense encounter, Theroux tells a pair of balaclava-wearing Israeli soldiers, 'don't touch me,' as we see a side of the documentarian we've rarely witnessed before. (Image: Louis Theroux: The Settlers) 'What are you doing in Israel?' one soldier barked at him. 'We are not in Israel are we, we're in the West Bank,' Theroux replies. He manages to catch the repulsion of the Israeli soldiers from any media scrutiny well in his encounters; at times, you could almost sense the feeling of shame in their actions as they refuse to answer simple questions and conceal their identities. The film reveals the deep contempt Israeli settlers have for the Palestinian people. He meets Ari Abramowitz, a Texan settler in the West Bank who refuses to even use the word 'Palestinian', then a rabbi who calls Palestinians 'savages' and 'camel riders'. Theroux is constantly told by settlers that they don't recognise the Palestinian state, nor do they see its people as people, and that they see the land as their own through religious rights. As the film progresses, the sense of futility piles up. Theroux is presented with the same arguments repeatedly in an almost ritualistic mantra. Then he meets the 79-year-old woman known as the 'godmother' of the settler movement, Daniella Weiss. She has been a key member of the Israeli settler movement for 50 years and is even seen as a sort of celebrity amongst her kin. Weiss and Theroux verbally battle it out throughout the film as the British filmmaker tries to pry her extremist views from behind her friendly smile. Their cat and mouse encounters reach a boiling point by the end of the film when Theroux corners Weiss and presses her on settler violence against Palestinians, which she denies. He says he has witnessed it, notably in a graphic video of a Palestinian being shot in the documentary, which Weiss claims the Israeli was acting in retaliation. (Image: Louis Theroux: The Settlers) She then physically shoves Theroux, an action so out of the blue that the camera crew is barely able to catch it. Weiss taunts him, 'I wish you'd pushed me back'. She was trying to make the point about the framing of the narrative and that settlers are being portrayed as the aggressors. Although it is evident she was using the opportunity to lash out physically, clearly frustrated she had been pinned into a verbal corner by Theroux, one she couldn't squirm her way out of. Theroux reacts brilliantly; he doesn't push her back, and he doesn't hold his tongue like he would have in previous documentaries, where he would use the silence for people to draw their own conclusions. He just calls her a sociopath. She smiles and leaves, seemingly self-aware that the mask didn't just slip; it hit the ground. Were there certain aspects that I wish Theroux had explored more of? Yes. The Israeli activists who protest against the settlements were most notably lacking airtime, and it would have been good to see more of the Palestinians' homes, which are impacted, but I can appreciate that an hour can be a tight squeeze to tell a complex story. One of the biggest surprises seems to be the creative freedom that the BBC has given Theroux. In February, the broadcaster was criticised after it pulled the documentary Gaza: How To Survive A War Zone, was pulled. READ MORE: UK to host Palestinian Authority leader for first time in four years You do wonder how long Theroux's The Settlers will stay up on iPlayer, as it shows a sobering reality of what is happening in the West Bank. Theroux seems to be back at his best, and it couldn't come sooner as the settler ideology is gaining political traction across the world, with what is going on in the West Bank setting an alarming precedent. The Settlers aired on BBC Two and is on iPlayer now.
