When viewed from the observation post of the Neve Daniel village in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc on June 8, reports concerning anti-Israel boycotts seemed trivial and remote. Set against this stunning view, with the settlements of Gush Etzion on one side and a sweep of Israel’s coastal cities and towns on the other, Yoav Kish, one of the Likud’s newest members of the Knesset, promised his guests that he would do everything he can to support the settlement enterprise. He also declared that talk of a two-state solution is unrealistic, given the present circumstances.

Kish has all the qualifications to make him a settler favorite in the current Knesset. He believes any diplomatic move that involves the ceding of territory would be disastrous, because that territory would be seized by Islamist forces and terrorist organizations. Added to his right-wing worldview is the fact that Kish is a fighter pilot in the reserves with the rank of lieutenant colonel, and that before he was elected to the Knesset, he flew Boeings for the Israeli national carrier, El Al. In other words, he is the salt of the earth.

During Operation Protective Edge in July-August 2014, Kish, 46, was called up to reserve duty to serve as a fighter pilot. He was elected to the Knesset for the Likud Party in the March 17 elections and now serves as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. In that capacity he agrees with growing assessments that given the current situation, it is only a matter of time before there is another round of fighting in the Gaza Strip.

In an interview with Al-Monitor, he insists that there is no connection between the boycotts and the settlements. He claims that the Israeli air force’s fighter pilots adopt the most stringent humanitarian criteria over operational considerations when launching their attacks, to avoid causing any harm to innocent civilians.