International Solidarity Movement Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.
By the ISM Media Team
At approximately 5:00 pm, two international HRWs (Human Rights Workers) walked through the olive groves of Tel Rumeida and noticed that a young settler boy (probably between the age of 10-12) was following closely behind them. After a couple minutes passed, the HRWs stopped walking to allow the settler to pass, as they were uncomfortable with him following at such a close proximity. When the boy reached the HRWs, he shouted at them to “Go!” among other various things in Hebrew. The boy was then joined by about five other young male settlers, and they began to hurl dirt and large, heavy stones directly at the HRWs. The stones hit one of the HRWs’ camcorder, as well as various places on their bodies. The HRWs called over a nearby Israeli soldier, who proceeded to come over but do nothing to prevent the settlers’ violence despite the continuing aggression by the children and the rock throwing. The first boy then physically attacked one of the HRWs. The soldier then told the HRWs to leave the area. They followed the soldier’s instructions and began walking away. About two minutes later, the settler children reappeared (there were now about ten of them) and began throwing huge stones from all angles at the HRWs. The children invaded an abandoned Palestinian home and continued their stone throwing. They managed to strike the HRWs multiple times again. After about five minutes, the children evacuated the house and returned to their settlement.
A third HRW on her way to support those being attacked asked a policeman to come, but he refused. The HRWs and others who had then joined them attempted to call the police, but they did not answer. The two attacked HRWs returned to Tel Rumeida Street and asked the two soldiers at the top of the hill to call the police. The soldiers initially refused, but finally conceded after numerous requests. After approximately thirty minutes, the police arrived and took the attacked HRWs to the police station in the Kiryat Arba settlement to make a complaint. An additional HRW complained to the policemen that they did not immediately attempt to catch the violent settler children. Eventually two of them proceeded to walk towards the Tel Rumeida settlement, but after a few minutes one of them left to remain inside his vehicle.
