Tag: Hebron

Armed settlers from Tel Rumeida today repeatedly attacked 4 Palestinian families as they tried to harvest their olives in Tel Rumeida today.

The Palestinians, accompanied by 4 members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams and 3 ISMers were initially attacked in the morning, by a group of settler kids throwing stones.

By the afternoon, Baruch Marzel and three other adult settlers with assault rifles arrived. One of the settlers (wearing plain clothes) produced a military I.D. and demanded that the Palestinians and internationals left the olive groves and one of the families’ houses near which some of them were standing. They began yelling, throwing stones at, and pushing the internationals. Meanwhile three soldiers arrived and forced the Palestinians to leave the olive groves, whilst ignoring the violence of the settlers. During this, several people were hit with stones and an Australian woman from the ISM was pushed and slapped.

Once the settlers had forced everyone to retreat behind the house of one of the Palestinian families, they broke into the house and started to destroy it. They began throwing its contents and the rubble they created at the Palestinians and internationals outside.

Eventually 10 police and border police officers arrived (who had been called to the scene by one of the Palestinian men). The Palestinians then complained about the attacks they had suffered and at the failure of the soldiers present to even attempt to protect them. Once told that there was also video evidence to support these complaints, the police promptly arrested the Palestinian lawyer who was speaking with them. The settlers were not arrested.

On the 8th of November, an international Human Rights Observer (HRO) from Scotland accompanied by two European journalists was stopped by approximately eight Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) soldiers on Shaddah street, Tel Rumida in occupied Hebron. They were asked to show their passports for inspection, which they did but the soldiers tried to take them away. They were not told when and if the passports would be returned. They informed the soldiers that it was illegal for them to take their passports away indefinitely. While the passports were being displayed for the soldiers, they were snatched out of two people’s hands including from the HRO. The HRO again made the point that it was not allowed for his passport to be taken away from him. After several minutes of inspection, the passports were returned one by one. Soon after, in the same place, these passports were again snatched from the hands of the HRO and the journalists. Again, they were inspected and after a period of time were returned. It was not observed that the IOF made any radio contact with their identification registers. The passports were returned after several minutes. The volunteers contacted the local police station and requested their presence. The passports were snatched and returned a third time without any apparent reason. The HRO surrendered his passport again but continued to protest. He then had his arms placed behind his back and was bound by handcuffs. He was bundled into a military jeep with IOF soldiers and the doors were shut.

At this point other HROs arrived and asked the superior officer why the first Observer was being detained. They were told that they would be told “in a few minutes”. An HRO from Scandanavia who was filming the events was dragged to the rear of the military vehicle and held there.

The Police then arrived and despite being requested to intervene on behalf of the detained HROs, began to ask for passports from the two volunteers who where being held by the IOF. The police informed the HROs that they had now taken charge of the operation: “this is a police operation, we are in charge”.

These HROs, from Scandinavia and from Canada both showed their passports but informed the police officer that it was not permitted for them to be taken away. The police man said they “could be taken here” or the two HROs could be taken to the station and inspected there. The police then snatched the passports from the hands of both HROs. Tthe observers refused either of these options and were then informed that they were being placed under arrest and both were forcibly dragged to the Police vehicle, the HRO from Canada being dragged along the ground. They were both locked inside this vehicle. They were both informed that they were being arrested for interrupting a military operation (not a police one).

The Police were asked to address the issue of the first HRO from Scotland who was still being detained in the military vehicle. They were asked on what grounds he was being detained. A Police officer walked over to this vehicle and opened the door and shouted in, ‘you are arrested.’ When asked again on what grounds, he said for refusing to give his passport. It was pointed out that the IOF had his passport and had previously inspected it three times. The police officer appeared not to have been aware of this and explained that he had been told that the HRO had refused to hand over his passport and still held it. The police officer then said he would take the HRO to the police station ‘for a chat’. It was pointed out to him that this was against his will and he was handcuffed; and furthermore, that this was not grounds for arrest. A discussion took place between the superior officer and the police man. The police man then said he was to remain under arrest. He would not explain why.

A female HRO from the US who was filming the proceedings, and had already been manhandled by an IOF soldier, prevented from filming and had her handbag torn from her shoulder, was informed that she too was under arrest. She had been informing the police that it was illegal to transport a person arrested by the police in an IOF vehicle and that she would be concerned for his safety in an IOF vehicle.

She was charged with obstructing a military operation and was instructed to enter the military vehicle. A police officer said he would ride in the IOF military vehicle and this “would make it” a police vehicle. She refused and was physically forced into the vehicle. This was the fourth and final arrest. Other HROs were intimidated, pushed, had arms twisted and on several occasions had attempts at their cameras being snatched and pulled by the IOF.

ISM volunteers have been maintaining a presence as Human Rights Observers (HROs) in the tiny Palestinian village of Qawawis (population approx. fifteen), as requested by locals. The vunerable village is often subject to attack and harrassment from nearby Israeli settlers. The following is a brief summary of recent events.

On the 11 of October at 16:35, a car on the settler-only road stoped and a settler took a photo of a villager. At 16:49 an army truck stoped and three soldiers got out. They talked to shepherd and told a HRO that the man had been too close to the settler road.

On the 14th of October at 08:52 an army truck drove into the village via a settler road and approached two shepherds. When a HRO approached the truck with the shepherds a soldier told him to back off because he wanted to talk to the shepherd alone. It seemed that he told the shepherd he is too close to the road and to go nearer the olive trees. The soldier drove away calling the HRO a “fucking faggot”. At 16:00 two army trucks were observed parked on the settler road. After a while they drove off without interfering

On the 15th of October at 07:50 an army truck stoped near a Palestinian shepherd grazing his flock nearby the settler road. A soldier gots out and seems to explain to the shepherd he is too close to the road. A HRO was told “you know they shouldn’t be here?”. The HRO replied that he did not know that. At 10:15 two Israelis drove into village (car licence number was noted). They said they were from a kibbutz and talked to the villagers and the two HROs. They claimed to be organising a tour of the area for their kibbutz. HROs advised that it was not a good idea, as the villagers would think they are settlers. One said “don’t worry, we don’t like the settlers either” and gave the villagers a sack of carrots from “our factory”. One spoke good Arabic and told a villager they had been moved out of Gaza – which would make them settlers too. Their story did not seem to add up. At 13:45 three settlers all of approx. 18 – 20 years of age came into the village. Villagers and two HROs approached them and asked what they were doing. They did not reply and walked around the village in silence. One jumped onto a wall and looked into a garden. At 13:47 one HRO reported the harrassment to the Kyiyat Arba settlement Police. They promised to send first the army and then the police. A few minutes later the settlers left. They were video taped. No military or police ever arrived.

On the 17th of October between 06:00 amd 08:30, several military and police vehicles were observed nearby while shepherds were grazing their flock. Between 10:50 and 11:15 at least 150 cars and 5 busses were obseved heading to Susya settlement. Between 11:00 and 13:00 a watch was kept on the road but no settlers approached.