FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Israeli Soldiers Bare All In South Hebron Hills
01-19-08
Video: For a video of Israeli soldiers “mooning” Palestinian shepherds and international volunteers:
Raw footage is available by request
Israeli Soldiers Bare All In South Hebron Hills: Soldiers Expose themselves to Palestinian Shepherds as Part of Ongoing Harassment
Friday, January 12, soldiers from the Israeli Army displayed their buttocks in an exhibition known colloquially as “mooning” to a Palestinian shepherd and two international volunteers from Christian Peacemaker Teams. The incident was insult to injury as it occurred immediately after settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement outpost of Havat Ma’on, accompanied by Israeli soldiers, pushed the shepherd and his flock off the land.
A shepherd from the Palestinian village of Tuba in the South Hebron Hills was grazing his flock in fields several hundred meters south of Havat Ma’on, an illegal Israeli outpost, when settlers from the outpost approached in a white car. Settlers from the outpost are well known in the area for their attacks on both local Palestinian shepherds and farmers and on Palestinian children walking to school. More settlers arrived, along with a jeep of Israeli soldiers, causing the shepherd to move back to a safer location. The soldiers informed the international volunteers accompanying the shepherd that the shepherd was not permitted to graze on the land, despite the fact that the outpost is illegal and the Israeli Army itself had previously issued a demolition order for Havat Ma’on. That order has never been carried out.
Despite the fact that the shepherd moved farther down the valley, the soldiers and a settler security guard followed him. Not content at having pushed the shepherd back, before leaving, two soldiers dropped their pants and displayed their buttocks to the shepherd and the international volunteers in a lewd, insulting manner.
The incident was part of ongoing harassment in the area of Palestinian shepherds by Israeli settlers and security forces. The following day, settlers from the outpost fired six shots at the shepherds. (see shooting release) The police did not respond to that incident. The day after the shooting, Sunday January 14, settlers armed with clubs came at the shepherds to once again push them off the land. On Monday January 15, Israeli soldiers threatened shepherds with arrest. Their efforts are part of an ongoing process of illegal settlement expansion in the area.
For more information, contact CPT-Tuwani at 0542531323
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Christian Peacemaker Teams Releases Video of Settlers Firing on Palestinian Shepherds in South Hebron Hills
01-13-08
Raw footage for editing available from Christian Peacemaker Teams/Operation Dove by request only
Christian Peacemaker Teams Releases Video of Settlers Firing on Palestinian Shepherds in South Hebron Hills
Late Saturday morning, settlers from the illegal Havat Ma’on outpost fired six shots at shepherds grazing their sheep in a nearby valley. There were no injuries as the shepherds and international volunteers with them quickly moved to lower ground.
The incident was part of ongoing problems in the area as shepherds from the nearby villages of Tuba and Maghaer al Abeed have attempted to graze their sheep in valleys to the south of the outpost. The recent problems began on Friday, when settlers called soldiers to force the shepherds off of land to the south of the outpost that they hope to take control of. The outpost is undergoing consistent expansion. Soldiers arrived and told international volunteers from Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove that the shepherds must stay off the land.
Saturday morning, the shepherds returned to the land to graze, despite the previous day’s intimidation. Five settlers were seen walking through the nearby village of Mufagara on their way to Khoruba valley, south of the Havat Ma’on outpost. The five settlers were joined by another settler from the outpost at which time they pointed towards the shepherds in the valley, accompanied by international volunteers, as well as to internationals nearby monitoring. At that point, they fired on the shepherds in the valley and ran back into the outpost. In all, six shots were fired.
Police were called by the volunteers accompanying the shepherds. They briefly came to the outpost, immediately turning around. They were called again and replied that they, “had better things to do.” For more information about ongoing harassment in the South Hebron Hills, contact Christian Peacemaker Teams/Operation Dove at 0542531323.