Volunteers with the International Solidarity Movement are encouraged to write personal reflections about the work they engage in with Palestinian communities, the events they experience, and the people they meet. These journals offer the human context often missing in traditional reports or journalism. These articles represent the author’s thoughts and feelings and not necessarily those of the International Solidarity Movement.
14th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
On the 14th of January, 2017, some 120 Israeli colonial settlers were escorted through the Old City by approximately 50 Israeli soldiers and Border Police, in occupied Hebron (al-Khalil). Escorted by countless soldiers from one end of the military base to the other, the settlers pass through the maze of the old city, often verbally harassing Palestinian shop owners and vandalizing shops.
Israeli Forces escorting Israeli settlers through Palestinian neighborhood
What the settlers are told explicitly on the tour is hard to tell. Not only do we not speak hebrew, we are also kept at arms length by the soldiers. However, we are occasionally described as terrorists and anti-semites, and it is not unheard of that we are either spat at, or verbally abused. Both as Internationals and Palestinians.
Like any other Saturday, today was marked by this event. Unlike other Saturdays, however, the number of participating settlers exceeded our expectations – 120 settlers had signed up for the tour, and with them came a herd of soldiers from different brigades.
One thing that remained the same, however, was the complete lack of interest in the stories delivered by the “tour-guide”. The participating crowd – many of whom are very young – are seemingly not there to listen. Instead, they line up right behind the soldiers only to point, spit, give us the finger and otherwise harass the population of the old city. As such, the tour has become a way of establishing the power relations between the settlers and the Palestinians. So while Palestinians have to ask for permission to pass the group in order to reach home, the settlers are allowed to walk freely, and verbally assault whomever they see fit.
Not only are they protected by the soldiers and their own arsenal of weapons, they are also protected by their legal rights. When you are a settler in this area, the border follows your corpus. If you pass into H1 area, your rights are still protected by the Israeli government. If you are Palestinian, however, it’s a completely different story.
Israeli Forces escorting Israeli settlers through Palestinian neighborhood
Israeli Forces escorting Israeli settlers through Palestinian neighborhood
Israeli colonial settlers and soldiers harassing Palestinian shop owner in the Old City
14th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
Imagine coming to a checkpoint, manned by a relentless occupying army, on your way home from hospital, holding your new baby who is less than a month old. At the checkpoint, the occupying army refuses to let you pass – insisting that you put your baby on the dirty table, so they can force you through ‘security’ checks. They have no regard for your tiny baby: any Palestinian is considered a threat.
That’s exactly what happened on Friday night at Shuhada checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron). This is the same checkpoint where, just two days before, Israeli forces denied passage to Palestinians trying to reach their homes, as they were sleeping inside the checkpoint. Israeli forces show no mercy or humanity, no regard for life. Whether it’s a old woman hardly able to walk, or a 20-day old baby, ‘security’ is the word used to excuse the occupying army from treating Palestinians with respect and dignity. Palestinians are collectively considered a population that is a threat to the “Jewish Democratic State.” The state neglects, marginalizes and abuses this exact civilian population in the name of security.
With this mindset, even a 20-day old baby, wrapped up in blankets against the cold and freezing winds is just that – a ‘threat’, stripped of all humanity, not regarded as a human being. Occupying forces demanded that the man put the baby on a table in order to go through normal ‘security’ checks. The baby was treated just like anything else a Palestinian may attempt to bring through a checkpoint: a plastic bag of vegetables, a school-bag filled with books, all a potential threat. The baby had to be kept on a table next to the metal detector, like a bag of vegetables, while the man passes through the metal detector. The metal detector is yet another opportunity for the soldiers to harass Palestinians. Regardless of whether the detector indicates that there’s any metal, a person cannot continue through the checkpoint until the occupying army decides that the person is fine to pass. Maybe they will force them to lift up their shirts for a little extra humiliation. Then the plastic-bags have to be opened one by one, so the occupying army can inspect the contents.
In the midst of this humiliating procedure, the Israeli soldiers forced a man to put the tiny, fragile 20-day old baby on the table like any other possession. There was no respect for the baby’s wellbeing. No consideration of the freezing temperatures, or the possibility of bodily injury. After precariously leaving the baby on the table, the soldiers then forced the Palestinian man to bring the baby through the metal detector, with the baby in his arms. Any arguments appealing to the humanity of the occupying army were ignored.
The absurdity and cruelty of this situation demonstrate how even the youngest Palestinians – babies – are treated like potential terrorists by the occupying army. This child, who has been alive less than a month, has already been forced to feel the full brunt of the continuous illegal occupation that is attempting to ethnically cleanse Palestine of any Palestinian presence. Every Palestinian is a threat. This dangerous ideology is perpetuating a culture of remorseless ethnic cleansing by Israeli forces.
14th January 2017 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
According to the theory of realism within the field of international relations, conflict and war is the outcome of an actual threat (a material/military threat). That is, war breaks out when one country is threatening the security of some other country by accumulating military power. It is, in other words, the Hobbesian war against all, where only the most powerful is safe. Now, if one holds such a belief, it is obvious that war/ conflict is a matter of national security. The less powerful seeks safety by military buildup, while the strongest seeks safety by retaliation. If taken to its natural conclusion, realism absurdly claims that “It is the desire of every state, or of its ruler, to arrive at a condition of perpetual peace by conquering the whole world, if that were possible”
Now, the myth of realism has been debunked on numerous occasions by the course of history itself. For instance, as Alexander Wendt points out, if realism did hold true, then why are “500 British nuclear weapons less threatening to the United States than 5 North Korean nuclear Weapons”? But even though the myth of realism is theoretically debunked, the implications of the theory live on in the minds of most citizens. Being caught between competing parties and media outlets, it is almost impossible to remain absolutely objective when assessing the geopolitical landscape of today. Everyone wants to identify the “bad guy.” Everyone wants a clear explanation for who or what started a war. And that goes for Israel too.
However, if we take a step back from the myth, there should be no doubt as to whom is taking the lead when it comes to the power relation between Israel and Palestine. For while Israel is a recognized state with massive military capacity, Palestine is without an army and de facto subjugated by Israel.
But this is not the image portrayed in the media – not here or elsewhere. People want explanations. People don’t like complicated. So, while the situation of Israeli aggression might be very straight forward by an outside observer, it is not so obvious to Israeli citizens. The media and culture has deeply ingrained in the minds and bodies of the people of Israel that they are under constant attack: that all Palestinians pose a very real threat. The vilification of Palestinians breeds hatred and fear in the minds of Israelis and perpetuates the tension and violence here.
And this feeling – this constant feeling of fear and hatred is undeniable here in Hebron. The way the soldiers interact with civilians is full of distrust and suspicion. Now to be fair, the situation here in Hebron has been relatively ‘quiet’ for more than a month now. There has been no continuous stream of teargas or shootings. And there have not been more cases of harassment than usual. What is left are all the incidents that have been normalized, that is, body searches, ID-checks, long lines at checkpoints and the occasional provocative soldier who is showing off to his mates by harassing civilians. Despite the apparent quiet, there is no sense of safety. For we–internationals and Palestinians–know that whatever happens, happens at the mercy of soldiers. That if they have a change of heart, we are at the receiving end. We know that teargas could easily be flooding the streets tomorrow, and we understand why no one feels safe going to sleep. You never know when it will be your house that is raided at night, or when it will be your friend who is dragged away. The recent quiet and stability is fragile, terrifyingly so.
So while realism is just a disproven political theory, it is well alive in Hebron – the mentality of fear and suspicion–the realist vilification of human beings is causing the conflict.
6th December 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine
As for colonial Israel, nothing happens without a reason. Periods of extreme violence are followed by relative calm periods with more intense colonial construction activities and preparations for the next facts on the ground.
Palestinian daily life is inhumanly restricted by the military occupation and by apartheid rules and regulations. Added to that, the daily lives of the Palestinians can be traumatically dangerous because of the unpredictable military violence against Palestinian men, women, boys and girls.
Following the escalation of Israeli military violence with 230+ Palestinians killed and 1850+ severely wounded mostly from September 2015 to March 2016, the actual situation since then seems one of relative calm and seemingly less dangerous.
But, the violence is in the preparations for the next stage of the ethnic cleansing project.
The occupation forces are remarkably active in replacing three temporary checkpoints by more extended permanent ones, replacing the temporary entrance-control at the Ibrahimi mosque with a new permanent stone building, installing many military streetlights and its newest security cameras on all streets, raising more gates, concrete walls, barber-wire and other barriers, and putting new Hebrew-English street signs in the ethnically cleaned streets and in Palestinian neighborhoods, as if they are in fact Israeli neighborhoods with some remaining Palestinian residents.
In the old center of Hebron, during a period of relative silence, many new colonial structures have been put in place by the colonial occupation forces.
New fortified checkpoints
Three new permanent checkpoints, replacing the smaller ones, surrounding the Shuhada Street area and a new permanent access control building in front of the Ibrahimi Mosque
New Shuhada street checkpoint
As an alleged logical result of the preceding period of violence, named ‘Knife Intifada’ in the Israel News, the Israeli occupation fortified all checkpoints surrounding the Suhada Street and Ibrahimi Mosque area.
All four new structures are in place and ready to be used for more restriction of the Palestinian residents on their way to and from their neighborhoods, their mosques, their shops and their schools.
At each checkpoint, the residents have to pass two metal turn-gates, of which one is closed by design, and two remotely lockable doors .
They also have to pass through a closed concrete surveillance box with soldiers behind bulletproof glass.
From outside the checkpoint, it is impossible to see what happens with the man, woman, boy or girl who enters this inhuman soldier- controlled room.
Imagine that you can be executed and left bleeding to die, totally unseen by other residents, journalists and human rights observers who are in the vicinity of this inhuman steel & concrete military surveillance structure.
New Hebrew-English street signs
Many new street signs, some of them replacing the traditional Arab-Hebrew-English street signs, but most of them are new signs and text boards.
Some of these street signs, on which the Arabic language has been eliminated, point to illegal colonial settlements naming them “Jewish Neighborhoods”, as if the colonial settlers are the only existing populations.
The other signs and text boards refer to alledged Jewish history and heritage, as this is the true and only history in this Palestinian city-center.
The occupation changed the name al Khalil (most of western people don’t even know this real name) to ‘Hebron’, locking the front doors of nearly all family houses in this central part of the city. This changes the reality in a way that it will fit into the Zionist colonial narrative, in which (Greater) Israel belongs to the Jews and the “Arabs” (Palestinians who could be either Muslim or Christian) are the intruders.
The Israeli state reserved multi-million dollars for these new signs and text boards.
The state’s ethnic cleansing project
The native Palestinian residents who rightfully resists to leave their homes, their neighborhoods and their lands, see their cultural identity and a prosperous future incrementally exterminated and will have a more harsh time being confronted with the next period of military occupation violence, due to the additional permanent restrictions in movement.
No entrance in Hebron-H2
With the deterrence of their weapons, surveillance and prisons, with the threat of another military escalation, and due to the peaceful character of the indigenous Palestinian residents, the occupation forces can do what they want in occupied Palestine.
The collaborating western mainstream media and political institutions will allow them to proceed with their war-criminal agenda. International law seems to be a cynical joke.
The new Israeli legal draft that will forbid the Islamic call for the prayer is just another attack on the culture, religion and identity of the native Palestinian people, whose land and resources are stolen by the colonial Israeli State, supported by all NATO countries and Australia.
By kidnapping and imprisoning children, who traumatically have to undergo extreme psychological torture, the colonial state tries to effectively destroy the next generation of native Palestinians and any hope for a better future for the Palestinian people.
preparations for new settlement expansions
Since the execution of more then ten Palestinian residents at the Gilbert checkpoint in Tel Rumeida, this Palestinian Neighborhood is inaccessible for anyone who is not implicitly listed as an resident. Inside the neighborhood, on top of the old Jewish cemetery a new temporary army base was built, and removed a year later. The new street signs now refer to it as the ‘old Jewish cemetery’ and a new ‘Chabad cemetery’, open for new funerals.
Next to this Jewish cemetery compound, lies the part of Tel Rumeida, that was destroyed for archaeological reasons. It is is now surrounded by a new military steel fence and made ready for possible new settlement expansions. It already has the new name “ancient Tel Hebron” on all those new street signs.
On another compound in Hebron, between the Shuhada Street and the remaining part of the Palestinian souq, until this year in use as a temporary army base, a new colonial settlement is announced to be build. It will initially consist of 28 new colonial houses. It is, just like all settlement construction, illegal by international law.
Replacing an Israeli army base by an illegal colonial settlement isn’t a new unprecedented strategy. In the first years of the occupation of the West Bank, the colonial settlement Kyriat Arba arose illegally in a very temporary Israeli army base on the North East hill of Khalil (Hebron). Today it houses some 7000 colonial Israeli settlers, and is the reason for many restrictions, harassment and attacks on the Palestinian population in al-Khalil.
This is the sad reality of a 70 year Zionist colonization of Palestine, the Israeli strategical approach to non-violent Palestinian resistance since 2005, the silence of the mainstream media, the unconditional support of the US, and the refusal of politicians in all NATO countries to apply to international law and put sanctions on Israel.
Assira al Quiblya is a West Bank village up on a hill between Huwwara and Nablus. But unfortunately, it is not sufficiently uphill enough to be free and safe from the Yitzhar settlement. This settlement, one of the most active in assaults, makes life more and more difficult for the Palestinian inhabitants.
Illegal colonial settlement Yitzhar
For many years Assira has faced the violence of the same script the rest of the occupied territories has faced: night raids, tear gas, sound bombs, and destruction of properties. There is tremendous fear, and the loss of peace and safety.
Currently, Assira is faced with a new problem, not coming from Yitzhar (for the moment), but from its own authorities – those who have the duty to protect its people. It’s hard to believe, but the Village Council has decided, without any consultation with the population, to open a road that will allow the settlers to reach the village more easily and quickly.
The path starts at the edge of Assira and this naturally frightens a lot the people living there, as they are completely exposed to the potential assaults from their extremists neighbors. In order to open the track, they will have to uproot olive trees, a source of both possible income and an important symbol for the Palestinian people. There has been no permission from the owners for this. Wasn’t there sufficient suffering and uncertainty already?
A group of citizens have gone to the Regional Authority hoping to find help to stop the project. It is absurd that the Palestinian people now must fight against the organising body that are supposed to be in charge of defending their rights. It is already a difficult situation caused by the violence of the illegal colonizing settlers and soldiers of the Israeli Occupation Forces.
The struggle continues for this community. Latest news states that the illegal colonial settlers have built a tower near the houses in order to continue to expand their territory.
Is there no end to their bullying?
Link to OCHA report from 2012 of settlement violence on the Palestinian village: https://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_yitzhar_map_february_2012_map_english.pdf
