International Solidarity Movement Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.
19 August 2010 | ISM Media
Al Baqa’a Valley
Atta Jabr is a farmer who lives with his family on a hill, near Road 60. They live in the Al-Baqa’a Valley, east of Hebron. They live close to Harsina settlement and an illegal outpost. At around 5:00am on Wednesday morning, 18 August 2010, Atta and his family were awoken by the sound of a shofar – a horn used in Jewish religious rituals.
Six settlers came down from the rocks where they were sitting, on land which is the property of the Jabr family. Atta and his pre-teen daughter came out to see what was going on. The settlers then ran down the hill and attacked them. Atta and his daughter were pushed around violently, but thankfully they managed to get inside the house and close the door. The settlers then began yelling a slew of insults and threats. They said that the land belonged to them and therefore they should own Atta’s house too. They screamed that they wanted to “f—“ everyone in the house and that they wanted to “f—-“ Atta’s daughter. One of Atta’s relatives, Jaoud, came running out of his house to see what was going on. When the settlers saw him they fled.
During the assault, Atta tried calling the police for help. Noone arrived for approximately 2 hours. It was only after activists called the police and announced that they were on their way, that the police responded.
The settlers were caught on tape by one of Atta’s daughters. (footage to follow).
This was just one incident in the ongoing history of settler attacks which has seen an escalation in the Hebron area in recent weeks.
