Israeli Military branches Collaborate with Settlers to Expand Settlement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Israeli military, police, and secret service are collaborating with Beit Ayn settlers to confiscate Palestinian land. The settlers have claimed that the land of Mohammad Jaber Solaiby is their own and the different branches of the Israeli military are mobilizing to make it so. The Solaiby family has documentation proving their ownership of the land, but the law enforcers refuse to acknowledge the law and protect Solaiby and his property from the settlers.

Jabber Abu Solaiby owns 200 dunums of land where the Palestinian village of Beit Ummar meets the Beit Ayn settlement, near Hebron. He has filed eight different police reports with the Gush Etzion police concerning the settlers’ destruction of his property and assault on him. The police have done nothing to protect him and instead have told him that he cannot go to his land.

Yesterday a peace activist from Beit Ummar named Musa, was detained by a shabak agent, beaten, threatened with arrest and told to stay out of the area for one month. Last Friday the police stopped Solaiby from accessing his land. They told him that if he or his wife steps on his own land, the settlers are going to beat him.

When Musa from Beit Omar told the Shabak agent who identified himself as Daoud, “you are helping the settlers, not the owners of the land.” Daoud responded, “That is my job.” “Daoud” then threatened to imprison Musa for eight days before a judge could decide if he can leave, which is the standard military court procedure for Palestinians.

Hasib Nashashibi, from the Ensan Center for Democracy and Human Rights, has said that contrary to the official documents proving Solaiby’s ownership of the land the civil adminstration and police claim his land has been sold to Jews. Nashashibi has also confirmed that there is no official documentation forbidding Solaiby or anyone else from being on his property, although the army, police, and secret service are acting as if there is.

Solaiby has also notified the mayor of the municipality of Beit Ummar. But the mayor said that they can’t do anything to control the settlers or the settlement police, and the best thing, and maybe the only thing they can to is go with internationals and/or Israeli peace groups to the land.

While Israel talks of convergence, the facts on the ground are military backed expansion.

For more information contact:
Shuki El Eis from Ensan Center 02 766842
Musa Abu Marya 0545 838925