06 March 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Masafer Yatta
A few days ago, villagers of Khallet Adabaa stood at the edge of their village and watched two illegal Israeli settlers driving on motorbikes up and down the hills surrounding the village – all of it private Palestinian land. Earlier in the day, settlers from the same nearby settlement of Mitzpe Yair kidnapped two Palestinian men from Khallet Adabaa. The settlers attacked the two men while they were working on their land, shot at them from a close distance, and took them to their settlement.
Illegal settlers on motorbikes on Palestinian land. @ISM
While the people of Khallet Adabaa waited for the news of the kidnapped men, settlers started to loudly riding adventure dirt bikes around the village over land they had just barred the Palestinians from working on.
Last week armed settlers in self-made military uniforms from the settlement Ha’vot Ma’on near A-Tuwani drove Palestinian shepherds from their lands in Humra. In the afternoon, in full view from the shepherds houses, a jogger crossed their lands from one settlement to another –and later, young settlers undressed and bathed in a Palestinian watering hole.
Settler jogging. @ISM
Settler bathing in a Palestinian watering hole. @ISM
Two weeks ago, settlers from Avigail kidnapped two men from Um Dhorit, and next morning, a settler youth paraded through the nearby villages on a horse.
The occupation forces project of ethnic cleansing and land grab plays out in ways beyond directly violent attacks. It is also enforced through sinister though mundane acts of indirect violence when settlers exploit Palestinian land for everyday activities, made possible by the firearms they carry, and always backed up by military, police force, and Israeli courts and politicians.
Settler youth parading through Palestinian villages. @ISM
27 February 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Masafer Yatta
Occupation forces and settler harassing Palestinians. @ISM
On February 25th, armed illegal Israeli settlers and border police approached and violently argued with Palestinian shepherds in Al-Rakeez, Masafer Yatta, driving them away from their land.
Two Palestinian shepherds were grazing their flocks at the top of a hill, where they have been recently told by Israeli occupation forces they are allowed to stay. About thirty minutes after the shepherds started grazing, one settler in civilian clothes and wearing a machine gun approached them. Amichai – the settler- lives in a close by settlement called Abigail and he has harassed Palestinian shepherds and families living in the area in the past.
He aggressively spoke with one of the shepherds, claiming that they are not allowed to be there. Few minutes later, three settlers in military clothes showed up, escorted by three border policemen. They all intimidated the shepherds and the activists present on the scene to step back, saying that they cannot be closer than 500 meters to the top of the hill, which included almost the entire valley. They refused to show any map or evidence, even when asked, as a testament of their abuse of power and their illegal actions, especially during times of war.
Amichai, one of the illegal settlers from the settlement Abigail. @ISM
They left after they pushed back the shepherds.
The area of Masafer Yatta, as other areas as in the West Bank, suffers from the Israeli massive ethnic cleansing project which has massively accelerated since last October. Al-Rakeez is one of the 14 communities which was at risk of forcible transfer due to the establishment by the Israeli occupation of the military zone 918, but shepherds were still able to graze in the surrounding area. One month ago, exploiting wartime, the area was sealed off and the access to the road leading to the valley was closed.
In this area, villages are being teared apart increasingly. It has become impossible, or at least very dangerous, being in the land and also walking from one village to another even though they are only a few hundred meters away from each other.
Israel’s ethnic cleansing project is being lead jointly via an expansion of illegal outposts and settlements over more Palestinian land, and by armed settlers – who nowadays are mostly in army uniform – threatening and pushing Palestinians from their homes and land and prohibiting them to shepherd. Settlers, together with the Israeli army and civil administration, have blocked roads and sealed off villages, invaded houses, destroyed private property, threatened Palestinians they will kill them all if they do not leave.
Since the beginning of the genocidal attack on Gaza, 16 Palestinian communities have been forced to leave their villages in the West Bank.
The settler and occupation forces on the hill. @ISM
21 October, 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Jordan Valley
The ISM visited the land of Ahmed, a resident of the Jordan Valley. Ahmed’s land falls in both Area A (under the Palestinian Authority control) and Area C (under civil and military Israeli occupation). He has a house and palm plantations on the “A side”, while on the “C side” he had built an irrigation system and started to plant bananas. The Israeli army destroyed everything there, as Palestinians face huge challenges to build and farm in area C.
A bit further away from Ahmed’s land there is a green patch: it is a mango plantation (photo) belonging to illegal Israeli settlers who stole Palestinian land under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces. The Israeli settlers are digging a trench (photo): they broke all the water pipes and water is now wasted filling the trench. It almost looks like they are trying to demarcate and separate Area A and C.
Palm plantations in the area A side of Ahmed’s land.
As settlers’ attacks increase in the area, farmers have put out an urgent call to international and local institutions and institutions of the Palestinian National Authority:
“We are farmers of the Jannat El Balqa region, in the area between Nuweimah and Al-Auja/North Jericho.
In these critical moments, we are exposed to attacks by settlers under the protection of the occupation army and their bulldozers, digging tunnels and trenches, sabotaging and destroying water lines, fences and roads on the Islamic Endowments land leased to us, which is accompanied by the occupation’s aggression against our people in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Therefore, we invite you on Sunday, October 22, 11 am to be with us in that area and the land of the Awsaj village.
Your participation protects us, our land, and our farms.
Published by: Balqa Paradise Committee and Ikhelia Jordan Valley Association.
For further information, you can call the coordinator on this number: 0599845312.
Thank you.”
Green mango plantation from illegal Israeli settlers.
November 27 | International Solidarity Movement | Hebron, occupied Palestine
The Jewish holiday of Shabbat Chayei Sarah (Sarah’s day’) took place in Al Khalil (also known as Hebron) over the weekend of 22-23 November. Over the two days around 50,000 Israeli settlers flocked to the city, to celebrate the festival in the place that Zionists believe is their religious right (despite the fact that it is historically Palestinian and is clearly within the demarcation of Palestinian Territories).
For weeks the area was being adapted and prepared to accommodate the thousands of visitors. Israeli settlers from nearby illegal settlement Kiryat Arba were to be joined by other observant Jews from across Israel, as well as from countries abroad such as France, the UK, and the USA. The mood was set by blatant Zionist propaganda adorning the streets, such as a banner proclaiming “Palestine never existed – and never will”. Whole areas of the old city and surrounding areas were taken over by gazebos, tents and caravans for the weekend. Exclusive and expensive VIP tickets to celebrate ‘Sarah’s day’ were available for hundreds of US dollars, enabling attendees to meet and dine with religious leaders, alongside Knesset members, and IDF commanders.
Extremist and racist propaganda placed around Hebron (H2) ahead of Sarah’s Day, a major Jewish holiday.
By Friday afternoon, thousands of celebrants had arrived in the city and the already extensive Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) presence (normally 4000 IOF soldiers guard the 400 Israeli settlers) was even greater than usual. Enhanced security measures were in place and major roads were blocked off, obstructing Palestinian movement around the city, and forcing Arab shops to close for business in an already suffocated economic environment (due to businesses and areas being closed by military order, and commerce/tourism heavily suppressed by restrictions on movement through checkpoints).
Many of the visiting settlers were visibly armed, with handguns or automated weapons, in stark contrast to Palestinians for whom it is illegal to carry a weapon, tightly enforced at all of the numerous checkpoints.
Each day International Solidarity Movement (ISM) received reports of serious, violent attacks on Palestinians living in or passing through vulnerable areas where settlers filled the streets.
On Friday evening, on the ‘Prayer Road’, leading up to the large settlement of Kiryat Arba, a group of 8 Palestinians were attacked in a barber shop. ISM spoke to one of the victims, Fayed, who reported a large group of settlers forcing entry to his father’s shop. Despite attempts to persuade the settlers to leave, more arrived to join the attack. Up to 100 settlers sprayed pepper spray, threw stones, chairs and pieces of wood, damaging property and injuring Fayed, his brother, his uncle and father. Fayed’s 21 year old cousin suffered a broken hand, whilst he and his uncle and father sustained injuries to the head and arms, resulting in hospitalization. The police eventually moved the settlers on however no arrests were made. Only basic details of the attack were taken down and there has been no further investigation of the crime.
Later that night there were further reports of violent attacks by groups of settlers in the same area, including an assault on a young old child, who was kicked and sprayed with pepper spray, requiring him to be taken to hospital. A Palestinian bride was also harassed and attacked by settlers as she celebrated her wedding day.
Despite the heaviness of occupation pressing down on them, the brutal and unprovoked attacks from the settlers, and frustration at the lack of protection from the authorities, Fayed and his family are quietly resistant. “Our life here is hard, but we have to resist. We try to be nice to everyone… to treat them nice, we don’t want any violence. Violence is not the solution….the settlers carry M16 guns. It’s normal for us and our situation here – to be attacked, arrested, killed. We grew up like this. What can we do? We don’t have a lot of power or support. We can’t fight with guns or knives, this is not the solution. How many Palestinians have been killed? Guns and knives are not free, they do not make Palestine free. We are not against Jews, we are against Zionists and settlers, and those that occupy our houses. ”
Israeli forces harass Palestinian photographers and journalists on Sarah’s Day in Hebron, November 22nd.
The following day, the entire old city plus large swathes of the normally unrestricted area (known as ‘H1’) was locked down, making way for thousands of settlers to be given religious tours of the city. Many were intoxicated, chanting provocative anti-Palestinian songs, shouting abuse, and urinating on Palestinian property. As the day progressed, their behavior became increasingly violent, with numerous incidents of settlers throwing rocks, bottles and other items at Palestinian people and homes, as well as unlawfully entering or climbing on Palestinian property. IOF remained passive, merely supervising the passage of the crowds through Palestinian areas.
In one shocking incident, a group of settlers attacked the home of a known Palestinian activist, Imad, who has been frequently targeted since speaking out against the murder of a Palestinian by the IOF several years ago.
Imad and his family are some of the few Palestinians brave enough to continue living in Tel Rumeida, part of an area in the heart of the old city which has been designated a restricted military zone (known as ‘H2’). Since 1968 Al Khalil has been subject to the establishment of illegal Jewish settlements, and over the last 20 years, the area has seen a huge influx of hardcore settlers who believe for religious reasons they have a right to occupy the land. These are some of the most extreme settlers in Israel, who routinely perpetrate abuse and violence against Palestinian residents, including children going to school. Many Palestinians have been forced out of their homes and for those who remain, living in this area is extremely dangerous for Palestinians. There is a daily threat to life and limb.
On Saturday, as the streets of Tel Rumeida were inundated with thousands more armed settlers, the violence and intimidation escalated. There were multiple reports of attacks on Palestinian people and property. Footage was recorded of large groups of drunk settlers climbing on the roofs of Palestinian homes, and abusing and intimidating residents.
On Saturday Imad remained confined at home with his grandchildren, due to the large numbers of settlers who had been marching and congregating in the streets outside, making it unsafe for Palestinians to leave the house. Imad heard settlers climbing on his roof, and trying to enter his home through the entrance way. He called friends to come and help. and unsuccessfully tried to convince the settlers to leave. The large group were shouting abuse, spitting and throwing stones at bottles. Moments later Imad heard crying from where his 18 month old grandson was sleeping. As he ran into the room he discovered that a settler had thrown a stone through the open window, striking the child on the head and wounding him.
Due to the closed and restricted nature of this part of the city, an ambulance was unable to reach the house to attend to the child. The child had to be carried through the streets, protected by a circle of local people from the settlers who continued to try to attack the group as they tried to reach the ambulance.
Imad explains that the IOF soldiers arrived at the house during the attack, however they only stood watching, and failed to intervene to stop the violence. When local Palestinian’s arrived to provide support, the soldiers pushed and held them back, threatening to arrest them. The IOF also failed to provide any first aid or show concern for the injured child.
A sign on Shuhada Street, Hebron. The Israeli government has sealed off the houses of Palestinians living on Shuhada Street and prohibits them from walking on the street, which is reserved for Israelis.
Despite the heavy IOF and Israeli police presence throughout the city during this weekend, it was abundantly clear that they were there to protect the settlers, and not the Palestinian residents. There was a complete failure to protect the Palestinians under attack. Police also failed to undertake any investigation into the various incidents, or attempt to bring to justice those settlers engaging in violence against Palestinians.
This raises concerns that the IOF are turning a blind eye to the violence, sanctioning and enabling it to occur, or alternatively that they simply have no power or authority to control the settlers’ violence. The risk for Palestinians trying to resist the occupation and violence, such as Imad, is to be punished, singly or collectively, for their defiance in the face of the creeping genocide of the Palestinian land and people.
Whilst trying to document and observe violence and abuse, ISM experienced hostility and aggression from both settlers and the IOF, incuding physical and verbal threats, restriction of movement as well as having our passports photographed by police and threatened arrest, in a clear attempt to deter us from our work. Pro-Palestinian activists in Israel risk deportation, including a 10 year ban from the country, serving to silence and prevent the documenting of human rights violations in Palestine.
On September 22nd, Amazon quietly launched its operations in Israel, offering local delivery from a number of Israeli brands, with a Hebrew-language version of its Israel platform coming soon. Consumers in Israel now have faster and broader access to the world’s largest e-commerce marketplace, yet questions remained unanswered about Amazon’s ties with Israeli military, financial, and technology companies involved in the Occupation of Palestine as well as accusations of anti-Palestinian bias against the platform and its founder Jeff Bezos.
Apartment building in Gaza after bombing by Israeli aircraft. IAI, which services 80% of Amazon’s cargo planes, also provides aircraft, missiles, and other weapons to the Israeli government. Credit: MOHAMMED SALEM/ REUTERS
While Amazon’s ties with IAI and NSLComm are rarely reported in the media, its multi-million dollar contracts with another security firm has attracted widespread condemnation and protest. Amazon makes millions off providing web servers and database storage for Palantir, a private US data analysis firm which aids Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in identifying and deporting migrants. A petition this summer for Amazon to cut ties with Palantir and ICE gained over 270,000 signatures. Palantir also provides the Israeli government with so-called “predictive systems”, which analyze social media posts to identify Palestinians deemed a “threat”. The result of Palantir’s racially profiled analytics systems is that Palestinians are arrested and face long prison sentences for simply posting photos of family members killed by Israeli forces or in prison, citing Quranic verses, or calling for protests.
Amazon’s dealings with Israeli companies supporting and profiting from the Occupation aside, many more questions remain. The most troubling of these questions surround t how Amazon Israel will deal with realities on the ground in its operations. Will Amazon deliver to customers in illegal settlements? Will Amazon sell products manufactured or grown on Palestinian land seized by armed settlers and considered illegal by the UN and the international community? Will Amazon give Palestinian and Israeli sellers equal access to its platform?
A quick look at Amazon’s policies on its global site, amazon.com, give some indication as to how it might run its Israeli site. Last year, Amazon removed a top-selling T-shirt that reads “Make Israel Palestine Again”, on the grounds that it did not fulfill Amazon’s content policy. Amazon’s content policy prohibits the sale of “products that promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual, or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views.” Amazon seems to have no problem, however, with selling “IDF” merchandise; at the time of writing this article, IDF T shirts, dresses, Halloween costumes, and even baby clothes were available on its global site. The occupation army has been accused of racism, sexism, religious intolerance, and countless acts of violence, torture, and human rights violations, not only by Palestinians but also by Israeli soldiers.
A screenshot of the “Make Israel Palestine Again” T-shirt removed by Amazon.
Amazon president, CEO, and largest shareholder Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world since 2017 (and according to Forbes, the richest man in history) has yet to speak publicly about Palestine or Israel; he rarely gives public comments on any political issues. But indications of the Amazon founder’s political stances can be seen in the Washington Post. Jeff Bezos purchased the US paper for $250 million USD and has been its sole owner since October 2013.
The Washington Post has published a wide range of articles on Israel and Palestine, and a quick look at their articles and editorials since Bezo’s takeover in October 2013 shows where its editorial staff and leadership stand. It describes the shooting of unarmed Palestinian protesters in Gaza by Israeli snipers as “clashes”, and Netanyahu as a “prudent, even cautious, statesman” who “quietly restrained the building of Jewish settlements”, even though during his last 10 years in office over 20,000 settlement units were built in the Occupied West Bank. One Washington Post article, titled “Palestinians Kill 3 Israelis as Violence Mounts in ‘Day of Rage’”, acknowledges only in the 6th paragraph that “28 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis.” Israelis are routinely described as “killed”, but Palestinians merely “die”. Another article on electricity cuts in Gaza makes sure to inform the readers in the headline that “it’s not all Israel’s fault”. Last year, the Washington Post ran a full page advert calling New Zealand artist Lorde a “bigot” for canceling a concert in Israel.
From the Washington Post (of which Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the sole owner) on May 6, 2019. Israelis are killed, but Palestinians just “die”.
Jennifer Rubin, a journalist for the Washington post, once retweeted an article describing Palestinians as “death-worshiping, innocent-butchering, child-sacrificing savages”, “devils spawn”, and “unmanned animals” who should be thrown “into the sea, to float there, food for sharks”. Her writing in the Washington Post declared that endorsements of the one-state solution “amount to calls for genocide”, and called then–Secretary of State John Kerry “intentionally obtuse”–or a liar–for not denouncing the Palestinian right of return. The Washington Post has rejected calls to remove Rubin for promoting racism and Islamophobia.
Given Amazon’s record of involvement with corporations deeply entrenched in the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, there is a high possibility of Amazon Israel failing to comply with international and human rights law in its Israeli operations. Should it fail to respect international law and engage in operations directly normalizing, supporting, and profiting from violations of Palestinian rights, Amazon may face boycott calls similar to those taken by BDS against companies like HSBC, SodaStream, Airbnb, Caterpillar, and Hewlett Packard. It remains to be seen what kind of corporate values Amazon Israel will deliver.
