Category: Action Alerts

“Leave, or we kill everyone”: contact your representatives to stop the ethnic cleansing in Masafer Yatta

UPDATED-14 November, 2023, Wadi Tiran in the occupied West Bank, Palestine

Thanks to the efforts of human rights volunteers and their supporters, the inhabitants of the village of Wadi Tiran have survived another night. The inhabitants were given a 24 hour warning “”. The volunteers kept a night watch, sleeping in a rota so that the villagers could get a sound night sleep for the first time in months. The ethnic cleansing of communities across the West Bank has escalated as world attention is focused on the genocide unfolding in Gaza.

Some local diplomats reacted today and have talked to members of the volunteer support group. But we must keep the pressure on. The settlers will only be reined in by political pressure on their leaders in the Israeli government. Our political representatives must be asked to act immediately to stop the displacement of these villagers.

Residents, along with a handful of international and Israeli human rights defenders, will be gathered in a large tent again tonight, awaiting their fate. The Israeli police have been called but they continue to refuse to attend.

The village of Wadi Tiran is a small herding community located next to what was the larger village of Zanuta, whose 150 residents were forced to leave their homes on 31 October under similar, persistent and violent Israeli settler attacks.

Seven colonial settlers from the Havat Yehuda illegal outpost that lies above the village arrived in Wadi Tiran three nights ago: “You have 24 hours to leave or we will kill everyone”. This threat has become the standard threat issued to herding communities across the Occupied West Bank. Fifteen of these communities have already been wiped off the map. After 24 hours passed, settlers entered the community and destroyed cars, a solar panel, a tractor, and anything they could get their hands on.

Now that night has fallen again, the entire village remains gathered in one tent waiting for the settlers to complete their threats.

We ask people around the world to pressure their governments to take immediate action to stop the displacement of Wadi Tiran.

American Human Rights Defenders, Jimmy Dunson and Dezeray Lyn, from Tampa, Florida, are present in Wadi Tiran. During this time, they have become concerned about the continual attacks against Palestinians by settlers. Residents, along with a handful of international and Israeli human rights defenders, are gathered in a large tent awaiting their fate. One human rights defender from Tampa holds onto the values of the White Rose Society, a group of people in the center of Nazi Germany who maintained their humanity amid the inhumanity around them and resisted the Holocaust. He speaks fondly of the Israelis who have chosen “to oppose another shoah, another nakba. I believe them to be some of the righteous among the nations in this generation, and I am grateful to be beside them. They, from below in the valley, rather than the settlers on the hilltops, are a light unto the nations, holding onto a culture of solidarity against the odds.”

For this reason, Human Rights Defenders everywhere demand a ceasefire and an immediate end to settlers raiding on Palestinian villages.

If you are a US citizen, please contact your local representatives and embassies:

Embassy in Jerusalem:
Ambassador: Jack Lew
Phone: (02) 630 400
Email: Americancenterjerusalem@state.gov
Website: https://il.USEmbassy.gov
Twitter: Jack Lew@USAmbIsrael
Follow @USembassyJLM and @USPalAffairs for updates.

Tel Aviv Branch Office:
Phone: (03) 519 7575

US Palestinian Affairs in Jerusalem:
Phone: (02) 6227230
Email: USPalestinianAffairs@state.gov

Script for communication to Embassies and Representatives:

I am writing to demand rapid action be taken by this body to defend human rights in the West Bank. As violations of International Humanitarian Law continue to be committed against occupied Palestinians, world leaders who do not take every action to defend human life and dignity are complicit in the denial of them.

Daily incidents of violence committed by Israeli settlers against isolated and vulnerable Palestinian families in the South Hebron Hills are being documented and transmitted to the world. Daily transgressions of the rights of Palestinians to live their lives without being harassed, searched, arbitrarily arrested and held without charge, raided, shot at and humiliated by the army and settlers -who are being emboldened by the silence of the international community. These violations are being reported by human rights organizations across the globe. With the whole world watching, what side of history will you be on?

Resources:
https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/settler-violence-rises-west-bank-gaza-war
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/31/west-bank-palestinian-villages-israeli-army-settlers
https://www.ochaopt.org/content/other-mass-displacement-while-eyes-are-gaza-settlers-advance-west-bank-herders
https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/fact-sheet-displacement-palestinian-herders-amid-increasing-settler-violence-september-2023

Call to action: Save Wadi Tiran, Occupied West Bank.

13 November, 2023, Wadi Tiran in the occupied West Bank, Palestine

The village of Wadi Tiran was given a 24 hour warning, “leave or we kill everyone”. 

Residents, along with a handful of international and Israeli human rights defenders, are gathered in a large tent awaiting their fate. The Israeli police were called but they refused to attend.   

The village of Wadi Tiran is a small herding community located next to what was the larger village of Zanuta, whose 150 residents were forced to leave their homes on 31 October under similar, persistent and violent Israeli settler attacks.  

Seven colonial settlers from the Havat Yehuda illegal outpost that lies above the village arrived in Wadi Tiran two nights ago: “You have 24 hours to leave or we will kill everyone”. This threat has become the standard threat issued to herding communities across the Occupied West Bank. Fifteen of these communities have already been wiped off the map. After 24 hours passed, settlers entered the community and destroyed cars, a solar panel, a tractor, and anything they could get their hands on. 

Now that night has fallen, the entire village has gathered in one tent waiting for the settlers to complete their threats. 


We ask people around the world to pressure their governments to take immediate action to stop the displacement of Wadi Tiran.

 

If you are a US citizen, please contact your local representatives and embassies:

 

Embassy in Jerusalem:

Ambassador: Thomas R Nides

Phone: (02) 630 400

Email: Americancenterjerusalem@state.gov

Website: https://il.USEmbassy.gov

 

Tel Aviv Branch Office:

Phone: (03) 519 7575

 

US Palestinian Affairs in Jerusalem:

Phone: (02) 6227230

Email: USPalestinianAffairs@state.gov

Script for communication to Embassies and Representatives:

I am writing to demand rapid action be taken by this body to defend human rights in the West Bank. As violations of International Humanitarian Law continue to be committed against occupied Palestinians, world leaders who do not take every action to defend human life and dignity are complicit in the denial of them.

Daily incidents of violence committed by Israeli settlers against isolated and vulnerable Palestinian families in the South Hebron Hills are being documented and transmitted to the world. Daily transgressions of the rights of Palestinians to live their lives without being harassed, searched, arbitrarily arrested and held without charge, raided, shot at and humiliated by the army and settlers -who are being emboldened by the silence of the international community. These violations are being reported by human rights organizations across the globe.  With the whole world watching, what side of history will you be on?

 

Resources: 

  1. https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/settler-violence-rises-west-bank-gaza-war
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/31/west-bank-palestinian-villages-israeli-army-settlers
  3. https://www.ochaopt.org/content/other-mass-displacement-while-eyes-are-gaza-settlers-advance-west-bank-herders
  4. https://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/fact-sheet-displacement-palestinian-herders-amid-increasing-settler-violence-september-2023

We will not be intimidated: Statement and call to action about the attacks on our group in the Israeli media

This week the International Solidarity Movement has been targeted in the Israeli media. Articles have appeared naming and showing pictures and videos of ISM Volunteers and Israeli activists accusing them of spreading ‘a false campaign against settler violence’ and of being Hamas supporters and ‘Nazi helpers’. In the current atmosphere of violence against dissent this puts the individuals accused at considerable risk.

The right-wing attack on the ISM began after we called on supporters to contact international embassies over the situation in Masafer Yatta. Our callout must have touched a nerve, and we would like our supporters to renew efforts to pressure representative offices and embassies in the coming week.

The attack on ISM and other Human Rights Defenders is an attempt to ensure that there are no witnesses to report the attacks of Israeli colonial settlers on Palestinians, so that the settlers and military can continue committing ethnic cleansing across the West Bank with the support of the occupation. They claim that we are falsely posing as Human Rights defenders along with another 22 organizations who have called to stop the ethnic cleansing in the South Hebron Hills.

They are also accusing us of “fueling the false settler violence” campaign in order to cause significant damage to Israel in the international arena. In fact, our statements and documentation of  the reality of the situation on the ground have only covered a fraction of the atrocities being committed by settlers. In September, the UN reported that settler-driven  displacements had already been increasing in number throughout 2022, and that those Palestinians remaining in isolated communities were at “elevated risk.” Of the nearly 2,000 Palestinians displaced amid settler violence since 2022, 43% of these displacements by persistent settler attrition have occurred – in just over one month – since October 7th 2023.

We will not be intimidated, we will continue to provide protective presence to communities that ask for it, and we will continue to call-out and nonviolently resist the ethnic cleansing that is going on. Now is a critical moment in the Palestinian struggle, and in the global struggle for justice. Solidarity is needed now more than ever.

Since the beginning of the attack on Gaza our volunteers have reported on and witnessed uniformed settlers terrorizing small Palestinian hamlets, making threats to kill and opening fire at civilians with live ammunition. ISM’s role in Masafer Yatta – along with our Israeli comrades – is to maintain a protective presence to deter further violence, and to report on the colonial settlers’ attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians from the area.

Some of the articles in the Israeli right wing  media have focused on an American former ISM volunteer who they claim is a founder and ‘the leader of ISM’. The person in question, although they were in the past an ISM volunteer, they were not a founder and nor  were they a leader of ISM. In fact, one of ISM’s four guiding principles is that we are a non-hierarchical movement and do not have individual leaders. This individual is no longer a part of ISM following an internal process addressing ethical disagreements that ended with the individual in question leaving the group in 2017. ISM is not responsible for the actions of this – or any other – individual who do not operate within our principles aND are no longer connected to our support groups

The articles also say that ISM is “an operational arm of Hamas”, when in fact the ISM is independent. We are not proponents of any political parties. We use only nonviolent tactics, and believe that nonviolent actions are a powerful tool in fighting oppression, occupation and apartheid.

Attacks of this kind have recently escalated, but they are not new. Last November Bezalel Smotrich stated that human rights organizations are “an existential threat to Israel” and that their real purpose is “to undermine the legitimacy of the State of Israel.”

As well as the ISM, the attack targets 22 other Left-wing organizations that recently issued a call to the international community to stop the ethnic cleansing and forcible displacements in the West Bank. The letter sent by the organizations reads: “The international community is called upon to act urgently to stop the wave of settler violence, which is carried out with the support of the state, and which leads and will lead to the expulsion of Palestinian communities in the West Bank. We believe that the only way to stop the deportation in the West Bank is through direct, strong and unequivocal intervention by the international community.”

The situation in the West Bank has rapidly deteriorated since the most recent war on Gaza began on October 7th. Since the start of the war on Gaza, more than 169 Palestinians – including 46 children – have been killed in the West Bank, and more than 3,000 have been arrested. As Gaza suffers from ceaseless and criminal bombing, settlers have expanded their attacks on herding and isolated rural communities in the West Bank to force Palestinians to leave by making their lives unbearable. In herding communities in the South Hebron hills, armed settlers close off access roads, attacking those who try to leave. Villagers are regularly injured by settlers opening fire with live ammunition. No food or fodder can get into  communities, children cannot access their schools, and the community members are in a persistent state of anxiety and dread.

The ISM has maintained a continuous presence in the West Bank since the beginning of the Second Intifada. Our role is to support the Palestinian struggle for freedom, and provide an internationalist platform for volunteers to stand side-by-side with Palestinians, enhance Palestinian voices and bring the truth of ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing to the international community.

ISM Volunteers, side-by-side with Israeli human rights defenders, provide a protective presence in these West Bank communities. We are hosted by members of the community. Our presence is intended to deter settlers and the Israeli Occupation Forces carrying out acts of violence in these communities. Volunteers document human rights violations and act as night guards in the communities staying awake overnight so that the families can get some sleep.

As the world’s eyes are rightly upon the Israeli genocide taking place in Gaza, many horrific episodes of ethnic cleansing of Palestinian communities are taking place in the dark in the West Bank, unnoticed by the majority of the international community.

We ask people around the world to pressure their governments to take immediate action to stop the attacks happening in the West Bank

Script for communication to Embassies and Representatives:

I am writing to demand rapid action be taken by this body to defend human rights in the West Bank. As violations of International Humanitarian Law continue to be committed against occupied Palestinians, world leaders who do not take every action to defend human life and dignity are complicit in the denial of them.

Daily incidents of violence committed by Israeli settlers against isolated and vulnerable Palestinian families in the South Hebron Hills are being documented and transmitted to the world. Daily transgressions of the rights of Palestinians to live their lives without being harassed, searched, arbitrarily arrested and held without charge, raided, shot at and humiliated by the army and settlers -who are being emboldened by the silence of the international community. These violations are being reported by human rights organizations across the globe.  With the whole world watching, what side of history will you be on?

 

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Call to Action – Embassies of Ireland, UK, Belgium and Mexico: act now to stop the violence in Masafer Yatta

URGENT CALL TO ACTION!!

We ask people around the world to pressure the governments of UK, Ireland, Belgium and Mexico to take immediate action to stop the attacks happening in Masafer Yatta, Palestine.

As the world’s eyes are rightly upon the Israeli genocide taking place in Gaza, many horrific episodes of ethnic cleansing of Palestinian communities are taking place in the dark in the West Bank.

A group of human rights defenders from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), citizens of the UK, Ireland, Belgium and Mexico, are currently in the villages of Masafer Yatta, South Hebron Hills, in solidarity with Palestinian communities who are facing immediate threats to their lives and of displacement. 

Israeli settlers and soldiers have taken advantage of the state of emergency during the current Israeli onslaught in Gaza to escalate their violence and displacement of Palestinians in the southern region of the West Bank. Armed settlers and soldiers have attacked villages of Masafer Yatta daily in recent weeks, physically assaulting inhabitants, including women, children and the elderly, destroying Palestinian property, burning houses and taking over land. 

Most recently, Israeli settlers and soldiers have been threatening to kill the people of the village of Susya unless they accept to leave their ancestral land. Two days ago, a similar threat to the residents of the village of Khirbet Zanuta resulted in the Palestinians from the village abandoning their land, knowing they had no protection against the armed settlers and the army. On October 31st at night, a house belonging to an elderly woman was torched by armed settlers in the village of Sfay.

There is no doubt that the raids will intensify in future days, and settlers will likely place another outpost in the area. ISMers are standing in solidarity with Palestinian communities and will continue to do so no matter the threats they are facing. 

We ask you to get in touch with the embassies of the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Mexico, And the U.S.  especially if you are a citizen of those countries, to demand that they put pressure on Israeli authorities to stop the violence against Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta and ISM activists.

Template emails for each embassy are provided below.

Contact the embassies at the following numbers and email addresses:

 

Irish embassy 

Sonya McGuinness – ambassador

+972-3-6964166

link to send an email https://www.ireland.ie/en/israel/telaviv/contact/#emergency

Duty Officer at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland at +353 1 408 2000

telavivembassy@dfa.ie

 

Belgian embassy

Jean-Luc Bodson – ambassador

+972 544 679 536

consulate.telaviv@diplobel.fed.be

 

British embassy

Simon Walters – British Ambassador to Israel

+972 (0)3 725 1222 or +972 (0)2 541 4100

+44 1767 667 600

If you are in the UK and concerned about a friend or family member who is in Israel or the OPTs call FCDO on 0176 766 7600.

 webmaster.telaviv@fco.gov.uk

 

 Mexican embassy 

 Mauricio Escanero – ambassador

 infoisr@sre.gob.mx

(+972) 03-516-3938

Embassies and Representative Offices in Tel Aviv,Jerusalem, Ramallah – Partial List

 

Mexico

 

Representative office in Ramallah:

Head: Dr Pedro Blanco Perez

Deputy:Barbara Magana Martinez

Phone: (02) 241 3192

Email: informacionpal@sre.gob.mx

 

United States of America

 

Embassy in Jerusalem:

Ambassador: Thomas R Nides

Phone: (02) 630 400

Email: Americancenterjerusalem@state.gov

Website: https://il.USEmbassy.gov

 

Tel Aviv Branch Office:

Phone: (03) 519 7575

 

US Palestinian Affairs in Jerusalem:

Phone: (02) 6227230

Email: USPalestinianAffairs@state.gov

 

Belgium

 

Belgian Consulate General:

Consul General: Wilfried Pfeffer

Deputy Consul General: Jeroen Dubois

Phone: (02) 582 8263

Email: jerusalem@diplobel.fed.be

Website:https://jerusalem.diplomatie.belgium.be/en

 

Ireland

 

Irish Representative Office Ramallah:

Head: Don Sexton

Deputy Head: Joseph Kennedy

Phone: (02) 294 9800

Email:ramallahro@dfa.ie

 

United Kingdom

 

British Consulate Jerusalem

Consul General: Diane Corner

Deputy Consul General: Alison MsEwen

Phone: (02) 541 4100

Email: britain.jerusalem@fcdo.gov.uk

 

Email for UK Embassy (webmaster.telaviv@fco.gov.uk)

Object: Urgent: Escalating Violence in Masafer Yatta, Request for Immediate Intervention to protect UK citizens and Palestinians.

Dear Ambassador Simon Walters,

I am writing to bring to your attention a matter of utmost urgency regarding a deeply concerning situation in the region of Masafer Yatta, in the South Hebron Hills. In recent days, the situation in this area has deteriorated significantly, with a growing number of attacks by armed Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the area. Just yesterday, settlers and Israeli army soldiers invaded the town of Susiya, in Masafer Yatta, and threatened the Palestinian residents that if they did not leave the area within 24 hours, they would come back and kill them.

In a similar incident, armed settlers threatened the Palestinian residents of Khirbet Zanuta, telling them that if they did not abandon their village “ we will do to you what we are doing in Gaza”. Israeli settlers have also torched a house of an elderly woman in the village of Sfay, destroyed property and robbed livestock in the villages of Tuba, Tuwani, Susyia, Umm al-Khair and many others.

In the past three weeks, Israeli settlers have shot a Palestinian man at point blank range, physically assaulted countless others, including at least one 16-year-old girl and two elderly men.

It has come to our attention that UK, Mexican, Belgian and Irish  nationals are currently in Masafer Yatta working as solidarity activists to document and raise awareness of human rights violations in the area. These activists have already received death threats, and have been verbally and physically assaulted by Israeli settlers and soldiers, who have fired live ammunition towards them on various occasions during the past few days. The individuals involved in this important work are at immediate risk, and it is your institutional and moral duty to ensure their safety, as well as that of the local Palestinian population.

I want to be clear: the violence in Masafer Yatta has escalated to a point where it poses an immediate threat to the lives and well-being of those in the region, including foreigners. We urgently request that the UK Embassy in Israel puts immediate pressure on Israeli authorities to take necessary measures to de-escalate the violence by Israeli settlers and the army, prevent further harm to Palestinians and our nationals, and ensure that human rights are upheld in accordance with international law.

We demand that you act immediately in this direction. The lives and well-being of our connationals and countless Palestinian civilians are quite literally in your hands. A failure to act on your side could possibly mean that significant harm will be inflicted on innocent lives. 

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

 

Email for Irish Embassy (https://www.ireland.ie/en/israel/telaviv/contact/#emergency)

Object: Urgent: Escalating Violence in Masafer Yatta, Request for Immediate Intervention to protect Irish citizens and Palestinians.

Dear Ambassador Sonya McGuinness,

I am writing to bring to your attention a matter of utmost urgency regarding a deeply concerning situation in the region of Masafer Yatta, in the South Hebron Hills. In recent days, the situation in this area has deteriorated significantly, with a growing number of attacks by armed Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the area. Just yesterday, settlers and Israeli army soldiers invaded the town of Susiya, in Masafer Yatta, and threatened the Palestinian residents that if they did not leave the area within 24 hours, they would come back and kill them.

In a similar incident, armed settlers threatened the Palestinian residents of Khirbet Zanuta, telling them that if they did not abandon their village “ we will do to you what we are doing in Gaza”.

In the past three weeks, Israeli settlers have shot a Palestinian man at point blank range, physically assaulted countless others, including at least one 16-year-old girl and two elderly men. Israeli settlers have also torched a house of an elderly woman in the village of Sfay, destroyed property and robbed livestock in the villages of Tuba, Tuwani, Susyia, Umm al-Khair and many others.

It has come to our attention that UK, Mexican, Belgian and Irish  nationals are currently in Masafer Yatta working as solidarity activists to document and raise awareness of human rights violations in the area. These activists have already received death threats, and have been verbally and physically assaulted by Israeli settlers and soldiers, who have fired live ammunition towards them on various occasions during the past few days. The individuals involved in this important work are at immediate risk, and it is your institutional and moral duty to ensure their safety, as well as that of the local Palestinian population.

I want to be clear: the violence in Masafer Yatta has escalated to a point where it poses an immediate threat to the lives and well-being of those in the region, including foreigners. We urgently request that the Irish Embassy in Israel puts immediate pressure on Israeli authorities to take necessary measures to de-escalate the violence by Israeli settlers and the army, prevent further harm to Palestinians and our nationals, and ensure that human rights are upheld in accordance with international law.

We demand that you act immediately in this direction. The lives and well-being of our connationals and countless Palestinian civilians are quite literally in your hands. A failure to act on your side could possibly mean that significant harm will be inflicted on innocent lives. 

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

 

Email for Mexican Embassy (infoisr@sre.gob.mx)

Object: Urgente: Aumento de la violencia en Masafer Yatta, solicitud de intervención inmediata para proteger a los ciudadanos mexicanos y palestinos.

Estimado Embajador Mauricio Escanero,

Le escribo para llamar su atención sobre un asunto de máxima urgencia relativo a una situación profundamente preocupante que afecta a ciudadanos mexicanos en la región de Masafer Yatta, en el sur de las colinas de Hebrón. En los últimos días, la situación en esta zona se ha deteriorado significativamente, con un número creciente de ataques de colonos israelíes armados contra las comunidades palestinas de la zona. Ayer mismo, colonos y soldados del ejército israelí invadieron la localidad de Susiya, en Masafer Yatta, y amenazaron a los residentes palestinos con que, si no abandonaban la zona en 24 horas, volverían y los matarían.

En un incidente similar, colonos armados amenazaron a los residentes palestinos de Khirbet Zanuta, diciéndoles que si no abandonaban su pueblo “os haremos lo que estamos haciendo en Gaza”.

En las últimas tres semanas, los colonos israelíes han disparado a quemarropa a un palestino y han agredido físicamente a innumerables personas, entre ellas al menos una joven de 16 años y dos ancianos. Los colonos israelíes también incendiaron la casa de una anciana en el pueblo de Sfay, destruyeron propiedades y robaron ganado en los pueblos de Tuba, Tuwani, Susyia, Umm al-Khair y muchos otros.

Nos hemos enterado de que ciudadanos británicos, mexicanos, belgas e irlandeses se encuentran actualmente en Masafer Yatta trabajando como activistas solidarios para documentar y concienciar sobre las violaciones de derechos humanos en la zona. Estos activistas ya han recibido amenazas de muerte y han sido agredidos verbal y físicamente por colonos y soldados israelíes, que han disparado munición viva contra ellos en varias ocasiones durante los últimos días. Las personas que participan en este importante trabajo se solidarizan con las comunidades palestinas y seguirán haciéndolo a pesar de las amenazas a las que se enfrentan. Por tanto, es su deber institucional y moral garantizar su seguridad y la protección de la población palestina local.

Quiero que quede claro: la violencia en Masafer Yatta se ha intensificado hasta tal punto que supone una amenaza inmediata para la vida y el bienestar de quienes se encuentran en la región, incluidos los extranjeros. Solicitamos urgentemente que la embajada de México en Israel presione de inmediato a las autoridades israelíes para que tomen las medidas necesarias para desescalar la violencia de los colonos israelíes y el ejército, evitar más daños a los palestinos y a los activistas internacionales, y garantizar que se respetan los derechos humanos de acuerdo con el derecho internacional.

Le exigimos que actúe inmediatamente en este sentido. La vida y el bienestar de sus ciudadanos y de innumerables civiles palestinos están literalmente en sus manos. Una falta de actuación por su parte podría significar que se infligieran daños significativos a vidas inocentes, incluidas vidas mexicanas. 

Atentamente,

[Su nombre]

 

 

Email to Belgian Embassy (consulate.telaviv@diplobel.fed.be)

Object: Urgent: Augmentation de la violence à Masafer Yatta, demande d’intervention immédiate pour protéger les citoyens belges et palestiniens.

Cher M. Jean-Luc Bodson,

je vous écris dans l’espoir d’attirer votre attention sur l’urgence absolue de la situation, gravement inquiétante, dans laquelle se trouvent des ressortissants de votre État dans la région de Masafer Yatta, en Cisjordanie. Ces derniers jours, la situation dans cette zone s’est détériorée de manière significative avec une augmentation des attaques de colons israéliens armés à l’encontre de communautés palestiniennes locales. Dimanche 29 octobre, des colons et des soldats de l’armée israélienne ont envahi le village de Susya à Masafer Yatta et imposé à ses habitants palestiniens de quitter la zone d’ici 24h sous peine d’être exécutés sommairement.

Un incident similaire s’est déroulé au village de Khirbet Zanuta, où des colons armés ont menacé les résidents Palestiniens, leur disant que s’ils n’abandonnaient pas leur village, « nous vous ferons ce que nous sommes en train de faire à Gaza ».

Au cours des trois dernières semaines, des colons israéliens ont tiré à bout portant sur un homme palestinien, physiquement agressé nombre d’autres, y compris au moins une jeune fille de 16 ans et deux vieillards. Les colons israéliens ont également incendié la maison d’une femme âgée dans le village de Sfay, détruit des biens et volé du bétail dans les villages de Tuba, Tuwani, Susyia, Umm al-Khair et bien d’autres.

Nous avons appris que des ressortissants britanniques, mexicains, belges et irlandais se trouvent actuellement à Masafer Yatta dans le cadre d’une mission de solidarité afin de documenter et sensibiliser aux violations des droits humains se déroulant dans la zone. Ces activistes ont déjà reçu des menaces de mort, et ont été verbalement et physiquement agressés par des colons et soldats israéliens, qui ont tiré des salves à balles réelles en leur direction à plusieurs reprises ces derniers jours. Les individus effectuant ce travail important sont en solidarité directe avec les communautés palestiniennes et continueront à l’être quelles que soient les menaces auxquelles ils doivent faire face. Il est donc votre responsabilité morale et institutionelle d’assurer leur sécurité via la protection des populations palestiniennes locales.

Soyons clairs : la violence à Masafer Yatta a dégénéré au point où elle pose un danger direct et immédiat à la vie et à la sécurité de quiconque se trouve dans la région, y compris des internationaux. Nous demandons urgemment que l’Ambassade de Belgique en Israël fasse immédiatement pression sur les autorités israéliennes afin qu’elles prennent les mesures nécessaires pour désamorcer la violence des colons israéliens et de l’armée, empêcher que des préjudices supplémentaires soient faits aux Palestiniens et aux activistes internationaux, et s’assurer que les droits de l’Homme soient respectés ainsi que requis par le droit international.

Nous attendons une action immédiate de votre part en cette direction. La vie et la sécurité de vos citoyens et de centaines de Palestiniens sont, bien littéralement, entre vos mains. En ces circonstances, échouer à agir pourrait signifier que des dommages conséquents seront infligés à des vies innocentes.

Bien respectueusement,

[Votre nom]

 

 

 

 

Ethnic cleansing in Masafer Yatta reaches unbearable level: Call to Action

Masafer Yatta | International Solidarity Movement

Colonial violence and ethnic cleansing is quickly escalating in Masafer Yatta, a rural region south of Hebron, in the West Bank.

Settler militias are terrorizing Palestinians by invading their villages during pogroms, armed with assault rifles, often wearing Israeli army uniforms and accompanied by Israeli soldiers. Palestinians and ISM activists have reported and documented cases of settlers beating up Palestinian residents, including women, children and the elderly; settlers and soldiers shooting towards Palestinian houses and houses, destroying water pumps and electric grids, uprooting trees and taking up Palestinian fields, planting Israeli flags on Palestinian land and houses, and even forcing Palestinians to sing pro-Israel chants and to wave an Israeli flag while holding them at gun-point and filming them.

Last night, settlers and soldiers invaded the village of Susyia and threatened residents that if they don’t leave within 24 hours, they will be back and start killing Palestinians in the village. A similar threat to residents of the village of Khirbet Zanuta has already resulted in the community leaving the land in order to save their families.

CALL TO ACTION: Residents call on people around the world to “check in” to Masafer Yatta on FB and Instagram in solidarity with the villagers facing imminent violence. This will throw off Israeli security forces tracking the online activities of both Palestinians and local solidarity activists speaking out against settler violence. It will also show settlers and soldiers that the world is watching and that the residents of Masafer Yatta are not alone.

Check out the hashtag #savemasaferyatta and share content on Masafer Yatta from pages like:

Youth of Sumud

Masafer Yatta (Instagram)

ISM Instagram, ISM Facebook , ISM Twitter

What follows is just a summary of some outstanding cases of settler violence

  • On October 25th Israeli settlers and soldiers invaded the land belonging to a Palestinian family in Tuwani and used a bulldozer to uproot trees and destroy the family’s garden.

 

The soldiers then shot a half a dozen warning shots towards ISM and Israeli activists who were filming the scene.

 

  • On October 13th, an Israeli settler invaded Tuwani and shot a Palestinian man in the stomach at point blank range, while being protected by an Israeli soldier. The day before, Israeli settlers dressed in Israeli army uniforms had invaded Palestinian agricultural land, planted Israeli flags and started shooting towards Palestinians and solidarity activists. Israeli soldiers robbed ISM activists of their phones.

 

  • On October 26th, a resident of the village of Khallet al-Dabaa was arbitrarily arrested by Israeli soldiers. When he was released two days later, he showed clear signs of abuse and turture on his body.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Youth Of Sumud (@youthofsumud)

 

  • On October 26th, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) flew drones over villages in Masafer Yatta transmitting the following message in Arabic: “We can see you everywhere. Wherever you are, we are coming for you”.

  • On October 27th, Settler militias destroyed over 200 trees, along with irrigation pipes, water pumps, electrical cables, and a water tank belonging to local Palestinian residents in the Al-Ain Al-Bayda village in Masafer Yatta.
  • They also severed the water supply pipeline for the community in Saddet al-Tha’ala village, while making death threats against local residents.

 

  • The same day, a large group of settlers attacked residents in the village of Susiya, who confronted the colonists and forced them to run away after an outbreak of a fistfight. Several people suffered bruises. The settlers threatened that they would come back at night with Israeli soldiers, and they did.

 

  • On October 28th, armed settlers forcibly removed a Palestinian man from his car, in the village of Umm Al-Khair, and then destroyed his car by throwing large rocks and by shooting at it.

  • On the same day, two armed Israeli settlers dressed in Israeli army uniforms assaulted and detained 6 Palestinians, including a 16 year old girl, who got her hand broken by the settlers during the attack.

 

  • On October 29th, armed settlers and soldiers raided the village of Susiya again and threatened Palestinians there that if they did not leave the village within 24 hours, they would come back and start shooting and killing residents.
  • The same day, armed settlers invaded the village of Khirbet Zanuta and told residents: “If you don’t leave, we’ll do to you what we are doing in Gaza”. The community decided that they had to leave to save their families, knowing that they have nobody to protect them.
  • The same day, armed settlers raided the village of Tuba and stole 6 sheep from a Palestinian family, as well as a gas cilinder, a phone and a sheep feeder. A few days earlier, settlers had entered Tuba during the night and damaged the water tanks with knifes. Palestinians and ISM activists in Tuba have reported that the settlers appear to be building a new illegal outpost just meters away from the houses of Palestinians in Tuba.

 

  • On October 29th, armed settlers invaded the village of Umm Al-Khair and forced some Palestinians to raise the Israeli flag over their houses and to record videos of themselves in which they spoke against Palestinians in Gaza. The settlers then said that they would come back the next day and that if they did not see the Israeli flags on people’s houses, they would displace Palestinian families.

  • On October 29th, Israeli settlers and soldiers assaulted an elderly man and his children in his home, in the village of Sha’ab al-Butm.

The International Solidarity Movement maitains its presence on the ground in Masafer Yatta, with ISM activists standing with Palestinians as they face colonial violence in their villages.