Israeli Settlers in the West Bank Brutally Attack and Injure Palestinians and International Volunteers Only One Day After ICJ Rules Israeli Occupation Illegal

The German volunteer after being attacked by settlers.

On the heels of the ICJ decision pronouncing Israeli occupation illegal as a whole and pointing out to systematic lack of accountability for settler violence, three international volunteers were evacuated to a hospital in Nablus after being attacked by settlers in the West Bank village of Qusra, south of Nablus. Israeli authorities on location failed to arrest the assailants.

Settlers who descended from the extremist Esh Kodesh south of Nablus, attacked Palestinian farmers tending to their lands, as well as international volunteers accompanying them for protection against such attacks. The Israeli settlers carried out the attack using metal pipes, batons and threw stones at the people from close range. Three of the international volunteers sustained wounds requiring hospitalization with suspected fractures. A German national was hit in the face and arm with a metal pipe, and two American volunteers were clobbered using wooden batons. A fourth American volunteer suffered more minor injuries after being hit by stones thrown at her by the settlers, who also stole her phone.

Soldiers who arrived at the scene failed to carry out any arrests. Additionally, the Israeli Police emergency hotline refused to dispatch forces, telling the volunteer who called them for help that “the army notified them there is no need to send forces.”

For more details: Jonathan Pollak +972-50-3010160; jonathan@defendpalestine.org
A Video of the assault is available here (You might need to to save the file to your device in order to view it)

The volunteers who were attacked were part of the recently-launched Defend Palestine campaign, organized by Palestinian grassroots organizers. The campaign calls on international volunteers to come to the West Bank en mass and be part of an organized international protective presence.

Mohammed Khatib, an organizer with the campaign said, “The attack today, not even 24 hours after the ICJ ruled that Israeli occupation is illegal and that settlers enjoy impunity when exercising violence, serves as further proof for the dire need for international civil protection in Palestine. 18 communities in the West Bank have been completely wiped out by such violence since October, and the Palestinian people have no more time to wait.”

The village of Qusra, surrounded by the settlement of Migdalim and settler outposts of Esh Kodesh, Bar Farm, Ahiya and Kida, has been the target of nearly daily attacks by Israeli settlers who attack villagers, vandalize farms and have even burnt several houses in the village with complete impunity. On October 11, four villagers were killed following such an attack and two more were killed in a subsequent attack the following day, on October 12.

The attack today took place as farmers were accompanied to their olive groves adjacent to the Israeli Esh Kodesh settlement by international volunteers. Unchecked settler violence has prevented farmers from accessing these groves and much more of their land since October. Despite these being privately owned lands in Area B, Israeli authorities have not made any attempt to reign in the settlers or act in any way to allow Palestinians to their lands.

Israeli State Files Indictment Against Anti-Zionist Israeli Activist

Jonathan Pollak arrested in Nabi Saleh. Credit: Oren Ziv/Activestills.

Jonathan Pollak, a long-time anti-Zionist activist from Jaffa, was slapped with an indictment for two counts of incitement to violence on Sunday (14 July, 2024). The indictment revolves around calls to join the Palestinian struggle against Israeli colonialism, made in a January 2020 article published in Israeli newspaper Haaretz, and in a June 2021 speech during the Yeshayahu Leibowitz Award ceremony. In both cases, Pollak called on those within the settler society who oppose Israeli Apartheid and colonialism to join the Palestinian struggle for liberation and integrate in it as a minority, under Palestinian leadership, and “march in the footsteps of the children of the stones and Molotov cocktails.”

Pollak has been the target of persecution by Israeli right-wing groups such as Ad Kan and Im Tirzu for several years, and this indictment is also the direct result of a campaign by these organizations. In 2018 Ad Kan used an esoteric judicial procedure and filed a private criminal complaint against Pollak and two other activists. He refused to attend hearings or cooperate with the proceedings in any way, and was wanted by the authorities for over a year before being arrested. In 2019, after Ad Kan published a post asking the public for help locating Pollak, he was attacked with a knife by two men who called him an anarchist. The article subject to the current indictment was published the day Pollak was apprehended, and the investigation into it for incitement was opened on his release after Ad Kan’s case was kicked out, in order to sweeten the pill.

On receiving the indictment, Pollak said: ” The only exceptional thing about this indictment is that, this time, Israel filed it against one of its Jewish citizens. In practice, it is merely one in hundreds such politically motivated indictments filed against Palestinians, both those who hold Israeli citizenship and those living as subjects under military rule. In contrast, the innumerous Israeli citizens, journalists and politicians regularly and blatantly calling to starve babies, indiscriminately kill innocent civilians, commit war crimes and genocide, go completely unscathed. It would suffice to examine the list of prosecution witnesses to understand who truly stands behind the indictment and what its purpose is. It is unabashed political persecution in service of Israel’s extreme right, meant to silence any support for the Palestinian struggle for liberation, and is part of the attempt to stifle the Palestinian struggle itself.”

The trial is set to open in October.

Israeli Settlers Harassment in the Jordan Valley

15 July 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Jordan Valley

Activists and members of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) recently faced harassment while working in a popular tourist spot in the Jordan Valley.

The activists focused their efforts on Ras Al-Auja (Ras Al-Ein) where water access is severely restricted for Palestinians, often limited to a few hours a day. Settlers have exacerbated the situation by blocking roads leading to water sources and stealing livestock. They integrate their herds with Palestinian flocks and then falsely claim ownership, reducing Palestinian herds significantly. While safeguarding the spring where locals fill their water tanks, activists also monitored settler shepherds who frequently encroach on the village land. .

The spring serves not only as a water source but also as a communal gathering spot, offering a rare moment of relief and socialization for the Palestinians. International volunteers had their duties interrupted by reports of settlers invading Palestinian land just up the road, necessitating a division of their attention between multiple locations.

At one site, a settler wearing a tank top with the letters KKL/JNF and a kuffiyeh was seen wielding a metal bat aggressively. This settler circled the activists car and tried to intimidate them by placing his hands on the bat and motioning towards his radio. The settler was wearing a kuffiyeh as appropriation of Palestinian culture. This is a disturbing trend that erases and undermines Palestinian traditions.

Once finished observing and documenting this settler, the activists encountered a caravan of camels led by settlers also wearing kuffiyeh, who soon turned aggressive. These settlers surrounded the activists’ car, taunted them, lunged and screamed in the ears and made sexually suggestive comments, showcasing tactics intended to intimidate and drive Palestinians from their land. This harassment lasted for almost an hour.

Join the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine: Long-Term Volunteers Needed!

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in Palestine is seeking dedicated long-term volunteers to join our efforts in standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people. ISM is a Palestinian led movement founded in 2001 committed to resisting the long-entrenched and systematic oppression and dispossession of the Palestinian population, using non-violent, direct-action methods and principles

**Minimum Commitment:** 2 weeks volunteering ON THE GROUND!! (excluding travelling/ training)
**Maximum Commitment:** As long as your visa allows

While a minimum commitment of 2 weeks is required, staying for longer periods, especially 3 months, greatly enhances the continuity and impact of our work. As we grow and strengthen our connections with local families and communities, an extended presence is invaluable.

**Why Stay Longer?**
– **Continuity:** Longer stays help maintain the momentum of our initiatives and relationships.
– **Impact:** A deeper understanding of the situation on the ground.
– **Support:** We strive to assist volunteers staying for 3 months in making their stay more financially sustainable.

Join us in supporting the Palestinian popular resistance to the Israeli occupation and apartheid. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people’s just demand for freedom.

**Get Involved Today!**

For more information and to apply, visit https://palsolidarity.org @ismpalestine

Can’t come? You can still participate! Considering donating to support our work in Palestine: https://www.gofundme.com/f/isms-vital-work-in-palestine-worldwide

Huge Destruction Suffered by Nur Shams Refugee Camp

*Tulkarm – Nur Shams Refugee Camp*
June 9, 2024
By Diana Khwaelid*

At midnight on June 9, occupation forces stormed the city of Tulkarm and stationed themselves in the Nur Shams camp, northeast of Tulkarm. A military operation that lasted for more than 13 continuous hours ensued, during which the Israeli occupation forces vandalized and destroyed the camp on the orders of Israeli military officials.

According to the residents of the camp, “this incursion was the most difficult and dangerous of the Israeli military incursions,” despite the exposure of the residents of Nur Shams camp to dozens of previous incursions.

Dozens of Israeli military vehicles stormed the camp and the Manshiyeh neighborhood. D9 and 5 bulldozers sabotaged and destroyed the main road of the camp, Nablus Street. They also destroyed the camp’s infrastructure, including the water network and power lines.

Dozens of shops were damaged, including a pharmacy, restaurants, and private shops for cellular devices. Many Palestinian homes were destroyed as a result of the vandalism and destruction of the camp.

The Israeli occupation forces conducted the destruction accompanied by military vehicles, especially bulldozers, while Palestinian civilians, including women and children, were inside their homes. The occupation forces did not ask or care about those inside the houses or whether they were physically harmed.

Medical and Palestinian Civil Defence crews rushed to the camp immediately after the withdrawal of military vehicles at around 3 pm, following more than 13 hours of continuous destruction. The medical staff stated that they had not received any reports or dealt with any injuries inside the camp. It was like a miracle that the occupation entered and left without causing physical injuries.

Palestinians inside the camp said: “في المال ولا في العيال”, good it happened “to the money and not to the families,” meaning that at least the destruction was only to material things (homes, streets, and camps) and no life was taken. 

After the Israeli Hebrew media published a special report on Tulkarm, especially the Nur Shams camp, Israeli news agencies, citing Israeli security sources, stated that the city of Tulkarm, particularly the refugee camps, must end. According to the statements of the Israeli army, “Tulkarm city is a city of terrorism.”

The people of the Nur Shams refugee camp refused to leave the camp. The majority decided to stay, no matter what happened. A Palestinian survivor whose house was destroyed said, “I will build a better house than the one destroyed by the occupation.”

The Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out incursions, destruction, murder, and arrests in the West Bank, especially in the city of Tulkarem.