Today, during the daytime, we were sitting near some Border Police. Sometimes they like to joke and be friendly with us. What follows actually happened: one of them TOOK OFF his helmet, flak jacket and gun, put them down next to us and started doing back flips and no handed cartwheels in front of us. He was showing off and it was quite amusing. He would have been in so much trouble if his commander had seen his gun laying on the ground!
There’s a new volunteer here from San Francisco. We know some of the same people and he also spins fire. We were able to put that to good use today in terms of nonviolent resistance.
We told the people in the neighborhood that we were going to give a fire performance tonight. During the day we practiced while out monitoring the streets.
At one point we were walking past the checkpoint, an often problematic area, and we noticed about 6 border police, including the guy who had done back flips and cartwheels for us earlier, detaining and mistreating to 5 Palestinian men who were our neighbors. There were about 6 adult settlers hanging around and we figured the border police were acting like this because the settlers had urged them to.
Anyhow, we decided to try to deescalate the situation with these border police at the checkpoint by being clowns.
My friend took out his juggling pins and I took out my fire chains. I announced to everyone present that there was now going to be a circus performance. So he started juggling and I started spinning the poi. We were being a little bit silly and ridiculous. After about 5 minutes we bowed and the Palestinians and one or two of the border police clapped. The settlers didn’t! But it seemed that everyone had lightened up and after about 5 minutes the police let the men go.
We stayed there for awhile longer because soon after, a new group of Palestinian men were detained and we did our routine again and they were only detained for maybe 15 minutes or so which is pretty good.
When it got dark, we lit our fire chains and did a performance for our neighbors. I have never had such an enthusiastic audience!
Maybe circus tricks will become a new strategy of nonviolent resistance to arrest…
June 14th: At approximately 12:30 PM, two Human Rights Workers (HRWs) on Shuhada Street noticed a group of between 8 and 10 settlers boys between the ages of 9 and 12 carrying plastic bags filled with water. The boys were coming out of the Beit Hadassah settlement and were headed up the stone stairs towards Qurtoba, a Palestinian school building. The HRWs followed the boys to the stairs and were attacked with the bags of water. The soldier on duty at the Israeli military post spoke to the HRWs in Hebrew and made gestures for them to leave. The HRWs told the soldiers they only spoke English and asked him to get the kids to stop attacking them. The soldier did nothing and the children began throwing rocks at the HRWs.
The HRWs went to the top of the stone stairs where Palestinian workers were constructing a cement wall along the pathway toward the Qurtoba school. The HRWs asked them if they were having problems with the settlers and they said that rocks had been thrown at them. A soldier who spoke English told the HRWs to leave but because the kids who were throwing the rocks and bags of water were still present, the HRWs refused to leave.
The Palestinian workers informed the HRWs that they would be going on a lunch break and asked the HRWs to stay at the site because they were afraid the settlers would destroy the cement while it was still wet. The HRWs agreed to do so.
Soon thereafter a jeep with four soldiers arrived. One of them angrily confronted the HRWs and said that if they didn’t leave, that the police would be called. The HRWs agreed that that would be a good idea if the police were called considering the soldiers weren’t preventing the kids from throwing things. The solider said that they must leave because it was a Jewish-only place. One HRW informed this soldier that she, in fact, was Jewish and that she could thus remain. The soldier then insisted, “No, you are not Jewish.” The soldiers then threatened to arrest the HRWs and the two proceeded up the staircase a few feet.
After some time, the HRWs went back to Shuhada street following some of the same settlers who were acting suspiciously. As the HRWs were on the street, the solider approached them. One of the settler children followed behind him, hiding a very sharp pencil behind his back. It appeared as if he wanted to use this as a weapon against the HRWs.
At this point, the police arrived. They asked if anything was wrong and the HRWs informed them of the settler violence that had ensued. The HRWs, soldiers, and police talked for about 10 minutes. The policeman said a complaint could be filed if desired, otherwise- the HRWs weren’t allowed to film the soldiers. The HRWs informed that they were only filming because the settlers were throwing rocks and water–first at the Palestinian workers, and later at the HRWs themselves. After this, the police and soldiers left and a shift switch at the soldier post occurred.
Soon after, four settler kids entered the soldier’s post. One of the settlers emerged and lunged threateningly toward a Palestinian woman and her son as they began to walk down Shuhada street away from Beit Hadassah settlement. An HRWs shouted “Stop!” which frightened the settler children and caused them to move back into the soldier’s post.
Two settlers began throwing large rocks at the HRWs. The HRWs pleaded with the soldier to make the settlers stop, but he said, “No, I can’t!” The HRWs said that it was his job and he replied, “I don’t give a fuck about my job…Go back to England!” The settlers continued to throw many rocks at close range, attempting to steal the camera, and hitting one HRW with his fists. All of this happened as the solider watched, doing nothing. One of the HRWs was bleeding on her leg and arm. The police were called and the settlers stopped throwing rocks. When the HRW asked the police to come, they refused because the settlers had retreated. The police said they would only come if the settlers were still attacking- but the HRWs informed the police that the settler violence would start back up very shortly. Sure enough, as the phone call ended, the settlers began throwing rocks again.
Since the police would not help, the HRWs called Christian Peacemakers Teams (CPT) and Ecumenical Accompaniment Program for Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) and asked if they could come help. They agreed to come.
It should be pointed out now how absurd it was that the only people interested in trying to resolve and de-escalate the situation were unarmed human rights workers from EAPPI and CPT, instead of the people whose job it is to protect the population of the neighbourhood – the soldiers and police. Another HRW called the police again and the police said they would come only after they were informed that a female HRW was bleeding as a result of the attacks. A settler van arrived in front of Beit Hadassah and the settler boys got in and left.
About seven minutes later, a police jeep drove by but did not stop. An HRW followed the jeep on foot. She found it at Checkpoint 56 and told the police that the settlers had been extremely violent. The police officer suggested that she go to Kiryat Arba police station and file a complaint. She agreed to do so. At this point two women from CPT and seven members of EAPPI arrived.
At Kiryat Arba police station, the testimony took four hours to record. The police officer was sympathetic and appeared to be rather shocked at the video footage and especially at the soldier refusing to intervene. He found out who the soldier was and said he would speak to him.
Meanwhile, back in Tel Rumeida the CPT and EAPPI were informed about what had been happening, who the soldier was, and where the kids were throwing rocks. They were also were shown the wet cement that was recently constructed. The CPT remained at the checkpoint while the EAPPI toured Hebron.
The solider who was allowing the settlers to throw the rocks engaged in throwing stones at the settler kids, in a playful manner. In exchange, the settlers would then throw rocks from the parking lot below the pathway to Qurtoba school at the remaining HRWs above. The kids would hide behind the Israeli ambulance that was parked there, which the solider hit a few times as he threw his rocks at the settlers. A few Palestinians were escorted along Shuhada street because some of the stone-throwing settlers were still present.
The Palestinian workers returned and asked the HRWs to come back at 7am the following day to ensure there would be a presence there should the settlers return and harass them. The HRWs agreed.
As the situation calmed, the HRWs began to return home. As they walked past the checkpoint, they noticed four Palestinian women being detained. EAPPI and CPT were present as well. The two soldiers at the checkpoint weren’t allowing them to enter because they didn’t have the proper papers. One woman called her husband to bring her passport, which was an American passport. The HRWs tried to speak with the soldiers but they would not engage in conversation. One of the soldiers even pulled out his wire handcuffs and threatened to use them on one of the HRWs. The three other Palestinian women at the checkpoint who did not have their papers were refused entry. Dialogue with the soldiers was attempted by all the HRWs, but entry was still denied.
During all of this, a new regiment of soldiers was touring Hebron. One soldier informed an HRW that these new soldiers would be even harsher than the ones that had been present that day…Let us hope not, insha’allah!
The Israeli military, police, and secret service are collaborating with Beit Ayn settlers to confiscate Palestinian land. The settlers have claimed that the land of Mohammad Jaber Solaiby is their own and the different branches of the Israeli military are mobilizing to make it so. The Solaiby family has documentation proving their ownership of the land, but the law enforcers refuse to acknowledge the law and protect Solaiby and his property from the settlers.
Jabber Abu Solaiby owns 200 dunums of land where the Palestinian village of Beit Ummar meets the Beit Ayn settlement, near Hebron. He has filed eight different police reports with the Gush Etzion police concerning the settlers’ destruction of his property and assault on him. The police have done nothing to protect him and instead have told him that he cannot go to his land.
Yesterday a peace activist from Beit Ummar named Musa, was detained by a shabak agent, beaten, threatened with arrest and told to stay out of the area for one month. Last Friday the police stopped Solaiby from accessing his land. They told him that if he or his wife steps on his own land, the settlers are going to beat him.
When Musa from Beit Omar told the Shabak agent who identified himself as Daoud, “you are helping the settlers, not the owners of the land.” Daoud responded, “That is my job.” “Daoud” then threatened to imprison Musa for eight days before a judge could decide if he can leave, which is the standard military court procedure for Palestinians.
Hasib Nashashibi, from the Ensan Center for Democracy and Human Rights, has said that contrary to the official documents proving Solaiby’s ownership of the land the civil adminstration and police claim his land has been sold to Jews. Nashashibi has also confirmed that there is no official documentation forbidding Solaiby or anyone else from being on his property, although the army, police, and secret service are acting as if there is.
Solaiby has also notified the mayor of the municipality of Beit Ummar. But the mayor said that they can’t do anything to control the settlers or the settlement police, and the best thing, and maybe the only thing they can to is go with internationals and/or Israeli peace groups to the land.
While Israel talks of convergence, the facts on the ground are military backed expansion.
For more information contact:
Shuki El Eis from Ensan Center 02 766842
Musa Abu Marya 0545 838925
Police on Tuesday detained 20 settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron after they hurled rocks, bricks and glass bottles at Israel Defense Forces soldiers and police. A policeman was lightly wounded in the riot.
The rioting took place next to a Palestinian house where the IDF was securing the construction of a wall to protect its inhabitants from settlers.
The Palestinian inhabitants, living in proximity with Jewish houses, were forced to leave their home due to unrelenting attacks by settlers. The IDF recently began securing the Palestinian house in order to allow the inhabitants to return to their home.
The settlers say that a Palestinian house in their neighborhood poses a threat to their personal security. The police said it will “exercise determination and zero tolerance against lawbreakers and anyone who harms police or soldiers.”
Later on Tuesday the High Court of Justice rejected a request by the Jewish community of Hebron to issue an injunction against the construction of a wall around the Palestinian house.
Farmers suspect settlers cut down olive trees
Palestinian farmers suspect that settlers are behind the vandalizing of some 45 olive trees in the Palestinian village of Salem near the West Bank city of Nablus.
A farmer working in a field adjacent to the groves on Saturday discovered that many trees in the grove had been cut down. The grove owner filed a complaint with Ariel police.
In recent months Israeli volunteers have been assisting Salem farmers in tilling their fields while suffering from ongoing sabotage by settlers. Buma Inbar who visited the vandalized grove said “the site was horrifying – it’s hard to see dozens of old trees broken down so brutally, this is sheer vandalism.”
One of Solayby’s grape vines that settlers knocked over and their sheep ate the leaves
Muhammed Abu Solayby from Beit Ummar village near Hebron has suffered heavily from the settlers from the nearby settlement of Beit Ai’an. They have destroyed many of his grape vines, fruit and nut trees, and even beat Abu Solayby severely last year. He was injured enough that he was admitted to the hospital.
He has filed eight different police reports with the Gush Etzion settlement police, who are the commanding police force for Beit Ummar and the settlements in the area. The police have done nothing to stop the violence or the destruction of Solayby’s property, and, recently, the police have gone a step further and have forbidden Solayby to go to his land.
Grape Vines almost completely eaten by the settlers’ sheep
Last Friday the police stopped him from accessing his land. They told him that if he or his wife steps on his own land, the settlers are going to beat him. On Monday, June 12th, the police told him to go to the Police station and asked him to bring the deeds for the land. He obtained the official papers from the municipality and the land court, showing his family’s ownership since the Ottoman empire period. Although he has all the correct documents, they said he is not allowed to go anymore. Solayby told them, “I will go on the land because it is my land not the settlers’ land”.
He has 200 dunums (50 acres) on the wadi Abu Reesh. The settlers bring their sheep to his land to graze, and these sheep eat the new growth on his grape vines, fruit and olive trees, destroying many. The settlers have pushed over many of the grape vines and destroyed them. In the last week, they have become more aggressive and have continued to threaten him when he enters his land.
Solayby has 200 dunums of land on the wadi Abu Reesh. The settlers bring their sheep to his land to graze, and the sheep eat the new growth on his grape vines, fruit and olive trees, damaging them. The settlers have also overturned many of the grape vines, destroying them completely. In the last week the settlers have become more aggressive, threatening him when he enters his land.
He has contacted the mayor of the municipality who told him that he can’t do anything to control the settlers or the police, and that the best thing, and maybe the only thing to do is go with internationals and/or Israeli peace groups to the land to face the settlers.
