Tag: Eli settlement

Settlers steal olives in As Sawiaya

4th November 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | As Sawiaya, Occupied Palestine

The villagers of As Sawiaya had gained permission to pick their olives, for just 3 days in the year the Israel army was allowing them to visit their land. These three days were overshadowed by the harassment and attacks from settlers from the illegal Israel settlement of Eli. Since these attacks happen on a regular basis, the farmers asked International activists to attend the olive harvest as a protective presence.

Activists accompanied farmers up to the groves closest to the settlement, which lies on top of the hll. On their arrival they discovered, that the trees were bare for all the olives had been stolen. A private security guard from the settlement, told activists that the permission was only for the Palestinian farmers and that the army was already contacted to ask them to leave. Indeed soldiers arrived but made no attempt to evict the internationals.

Farmers who tried to get to the fields closest to the settlement were prevented from doing so by the Israeli Army.

Activists were able to assist with the olive harvest in groves further from the settlement where the crop had not been stolen

Sawiya night attack by settlers sees property damaged and graves vandalized

15th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, As Sawiya, Occupied Palestine

By ISM Nablus

In the early hours of Monday morning, a group of Zionist settlers from the Eli and Rechalim colonies attacked the Palestinian village of As Sawiah, east of Salfit.

The two graves spraypainted, including a Star of David, a Jewish symbol co-opted by the Zionist movement
The two graves spraypainted, including a Star of David, a Jewish symbol co-opted by the Zionist movement (Photo by ISM)

At about 3am, As Sawiah’s residents were sleeping as settlers attacked, first targeting a garden shop that had trees snapped and pots and plants thrown. The settlers continued to damage property letting down tires of two tractors and a car with spikes. The vehicles are essential to Palestinian farmers for their work and livelihood. Settlers continued in their attack by vandalising two graves near a family home, where they graffitied ‘Revenge for Arabs’ in Hebrew.

These attacks show the constant threat that settlers pose to the indigenous inhabitants to Palestine, where the attacks are often violent and deadly. When faced with attacks on property with varying degrees, the Palestinian people have no legal recourse or protection from the occupying forces. Eli, founded in 1984 and now spread over nine hilltops, has even contravened Israeli planning guidelines in its quest for growth; as well as stealing even more privately-owned Palestinian land this year from neighbouring Qaryut and all in direct – and defiant – contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention and several UN Security Council resolutions specifically on Israeli settler-colonial activity. Rechalim, meanwhile, has in recent years stolen land from the villages of Yatma and As Sawiya.

Plant pots were smashed too along with the trees that were snapped
Plant pots were smashed too along with the trees that were snapped (Photo by ISM)
What land remains for As Sawiya's villagers cannot even be worked on without gross hindrance (Photo by ISM)
What land remains for As Sawiya’s villagers cannot even be worked on without gross hindrance (Photo by ISM)
The settlers handiwork leaves not just a need for repairs, but also a sense of insecurity (Photo by ISM)
The settlers handiwork leaves not just a need for repairs, but also a sense of insecurity (Photo by ISM)
Puncture marks left by the spikes, time lost for this farmer not depicted (Photo by ISM)
Puncture marks left by the spikes, time lost for this farmer not depicted (Photo by ISM)