Tag: Hebron

Settlers Assult Humans Rights Workers in Hebron – Soldiers Refuse to Intervene

Graffiti of the Kach party slogan sprayed on a Palestinian home in Hebron. Kach is a Jewish terrorist organisation banned in Israel and the US. Photo from Jan. 2005

May 6, 2006: At 2:30 PM, six settlers in their 30s, with white kippas (One settler had the Kach symbol, a fist inside of a Star of David, on his kippa.) approached Mary, a 75 year old international HRW (Human Rights Worker) sitting at the top of the Tel Rumeida hill 70 meters from the Tel Rumeida settlement. An Israeli male HRW, age 21, went over immediately and sat next to Mary. They surrounded the HRWs and asked questions aggressively, such as “Where are you from?” “What are you doing here?” “What, you like Arabs?” They were also cursing them.

The oldest settler, approximately 40 years old, got close to their faces and whispered “I like to kill Arabs. I like to kill Arabs.” Then another settler punched the male HRW, who was still sitting down, in the face. At that point, the soldier located 6 meters away approached but did and said nothing.

The oldest settler grabbed Mary’s purse off of her that was strapped to her body, threw it on the ground and kicked it 10 meters away. The Israeli HRW got up and picked up the purse. He began to return, then a settler came and kicked his right leg very hard from the side.

At this point the soldier told the settlers to leave the HRWs alone. The settlers spat on both HRWs repeatedly. The settlers cursed the HRWs in Hebrew. The soldier hugged the settler and said “I understand.”

10 minutes later the HRW called the police and told them of the attack. The police said “come to the police station and file a complaint.” He told them that he had no way to get to the police station as it is inside the settlement. Then they said that a patrol car was on its way and he could speak to them when it arrives. HRWs waited there for 1 and 1/2 hours but no police car came to the area at all. Then he called the police station again to ask why they had not come. The police answered that a patrol car came and saw that everything was ok and left.

Protest against settler violence in Mt. Hebron

Message from Taayush South Hebron Committee:

Saturday, May 6, we will protest against settler violence.
Please contact us at the two email addresses below for times and locations.

roeemet@yahoo.com
avichay@shovrimshtika.org

We shall protest against their violence and the indifference of the security forces in South Mt. Hebron. Last week, children from Tuba were attacked on their way back from school by settlers from Maon. In spite of the presence of military and police forces, the harassment of the children continued for an entire hour till Ta’ayush activists reached the spot.

Settlers from Avigail, Sussya and its outposts continue to attack and harrass Palestinians living in the region and damage their property. The Israeli security forces always manage to arrive when it is too late to prevent the destruction. Those wishing to join should send their name and phone-number to one of the following

From our experience in this region, the number of participants makes a great difference. Do try to help us.
South Mt. Hebron Committee”

Tel Rumeida Journal

Monday, April the 24th

Today was a quiet day. Volunteers doing a lot of work preparing for the press conference on Wednesday. A Press release and open letter to the police and army about rising settler violence are being drafted.

Jerusalem Post visit Tel Rumeida and visit two families who recount stories of settler and IDF violence. I hope their words get through to the journalists because it is obviously painful for the people to tell their stories. While we are with the journalists and international and a Palestinian are spat at and threatened by settler children on Schuhada Street.

Tuesday, April the 25th

The morning school run goes well. Three settler visitors wearing the orange threads signifying opposition to disengagement come to talk to the soldiers.

As we are leaving a soldier comes to check our passports, he grabs our passports out of our hands and tells us we are being detained. We try to reason with him but he is obviously intent on causing us as much trouble as he can. In the end five internationals from CPT and ISM are detained for three hours at the Bab-a-Zawiyye Machsom. After three hours the shift changes and we are released immediately – it is patently obvious that this particular soldier does not like the internationals and wants to cause as much trouble as he can, his peers do not seem to share his animosity.

The Jerusalem Post are here again and watch what we on the school run with interest. Surely they must wonder why so many internationals are needed to watch this group of schoolchildren walking home.

The soldiers stationed near the Tel Rumeida settlement stop three schoolgirls from walking home. The family that these girls belong to has won a court battle for access to the land below the Tel Rumeida settlement. However, today the soldiers are not aware that the family have permission to use the path to their home and they have to wait by the guards post dangerously close to the settlement buildings. A settler child emerges and throws a stone before he is shooed away by the soldier. This exact same situation occurred last week and could be avoided if IDF soldiers were properly briefed.

Wednesday April the 26th

Men doing building work at the school are stoned by settlers and later a large group of settlers come and destroy the building work.

At last, a peaceful Shabbat in Tel Rumeida

This Saturday, the 30th of April everybody was apprehensive about further settler attacks. Over the last three shabbats settlers have mounted more and more organised attacks against internationals and Palestians in Tel Rumeida. There was a large intrernational presence in response.

Internationals and Palestinans have been active this last week in trying to draw attention to the increasing level of violence in Tel Rumeida. On Wednesday a conference was held highlighting the escalating violence and an open letter was sent asking the police and army to protect Palestinans in Tel Rumeida.

Throughout the week international volunteers have been speaking to the army units in Tel Rumeida and impressing on them the danger posed by settler attacks and asking that they intervene if attacks occur.

Settler violence has been covered in the mainstream media including the Jerusalem Post and some TV stations.

On Wednesday an organised group of settlers attacked workers at Qurtuba school in Tel Rumeida and later destroyed school property. Palestinians and internationals made calls to the DCO and the police asking for more policing near the school.

On Saturday an unprecedented number of border police were present at Qurtuba school stationed close to the place where the attack occurred on Wednesday. We can only assume that at least some of our efforts were worthwhile.

The day passed without any trouble whatsoever. It seems that the large numbers of police coupled with the numbers of internationals and the fact that the settlers know that the media is watching has had a preventative effect… My only hope is that we an maintain a focus on Tel Rumeida in weeks to come.

Settlers Vandalise School Property in Tel Rumeida

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Settlers from Beit Hadassa settlement in Tel Rumeida on the outskirts of the old city of Hebron vandalised a school path at Qurtuba school which is used by local Palestinian children.

The path was being built with money from TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron). The builders had just laid bricks along the path above Beit Hadassa settlement.

At 2pm on April 26th builders had stones thrown at them by children from Beit Hadassa. Shortly afterwards international Human Rights Workers (HRWs) saw an adult settler looking at the building work and making several calls on his mobile phone. Between 6 and 7pm yesterday a group of 20 adults and children from Beit Hadassa climbed the steps to the school and began tearing up the bricks and throwing them down the steps.

Soldiers are stationed at a guardpost 50 feet away. Local Palestinians said soldiers did try to intervene but did not stop the vandalism. Police attended but no arrests were made.

A Palestinian family living behind Qurtuba school said that when the settlers approached the school they were frightened that they would attack them and they called their children inside the house. Palestinian residents in Tel Rumeida are subject to regular attacks by extremist settlers. Qurtuba school has been daubed with graffiti such as ‘Gas the Arabs’.

Frequency and seriousness of attacks in Tel Rumeida has been increasing over the past weeks. The most serious attacks occur on shabbat. Last Saturday 30 settlers attacked a Palestinian shop on Tel Rumeida Street and assaulted a young Palestinian (see
https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/04/23/settlers-attack). HRWs are afraid that more attacks will occur this Saturday and have written an Open Letter to the Police (see
https://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/04/26/open-letter-heb1/)

Press Contacts
Tom – 0542363265
Mary – 0542146510