Tag: Settler tour - Page 2 - International Solidarity Movement

Weekly settler tour invades old Hebron, disrupting lives of Palestinians

2nd June 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

On Saturday the 1st June, another group of illegal settlers of Hebron and other settler tourists invaded the old city of Hebron, a Palestinian area which is tightly controlled by the Israeli military. Palestinian homes were invaded by the soldiers and several incidents of violence and harassment were reported.

Settlers and soldiers block streets in the souq - restricting Palestinian movement - (Photo by ISM) — Settlers and soldiers block streets in the souq – restricting Palestinian movement – (Photo by ISM)

The afternoon was unusually hot and the area was quiet until around four in the afternoon at which point two groups of three soldiers appeared in the old Souq and invaded Palestinian houses, purportedly to use their roofs for surveillance. One of the homes invaded was that of a sixteen-year-old boy who was arrested last week on false charges of injuring a settler – he was in a different city at the time of the injury – and released shortly thereafter. There also was a report of a soldier beating a Palestinian man, kicking him on the head.

The “tour” proceeded from the gate near the illegal Israeli settlement of Beit Romano and through the old city. The Israeli settlers were completely surrounded by soldiers, who refused to let Palestinians through and made them travel by alternate routes. One female soldier had a dog on a leash, and several Israeli border policemen were also present and conversing with settler-tourists. It was clear from a conversation between soldiers that they were irritated by the presence of international observers. One international was also confronted by an armed settler, who demanded his passport and asked provocative questions in a clear act of harassment.

At one point, three soldiers broke from the main group and ran through the old city, intimidating people by pointing guns at passers-by. They then stormed into a Palestinian house, occupying the roof which oversees a Palestinian playground. They pointed their guns down at children playing and also trampled all over a rooftop vegetable garden, destroying a number of plants.

This weekly “tour” of Hebron disturbs the daily lives of Palestinians in the busy Souq of Hebron, which has seen an extreme decrease in trade since the Israeli occupation forces closed Shuhada street, which was formerly Hebron’s busiest market. Rather than closing the Souq, where there are several illegal Israeli settlements, Palestinian residents think the Israeli forces are trying to make life there as uncomfortable as possible and thus pressure them to move out of the area.

Soldier on rooftop pointing gun near playground - (Photo by ISM) — Soldier on rooftop pointing gun near playground – (Photo by ISM)

Palestinians try to take a juice stall through the souq, blocked by settlers and soldiers - (Photo by ISM) — Palestinians try to take a juice stall through the souq, blocked by settlers and soldiers – (Photo by ISM)

Sixteen-year-old boy blindfolded and arrested late at night without evidence

27th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Team Al Khalil | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Following the events of the settler tour during yesterday afternoon Fuad Asem al Batsh, a sixteen-year-old minor, was arrested in Hebron without any evidence or court decision. He was released after about an hour.

It was at 10 pm in the old city that a group of around 15 heavily-armed Israeli soldiers invaded a family house stating they were looking for a boy who earlier the same day had thrown an object at a settler. In the presence of four international activists the soldiers forced themselves into three family houses before arresting Fuad Asem al Batsh in the fourth home, without any evidence against him.

After fifteen minutes discussion between the boy and the soldiers, they removed him from the house. Despite objections from the internationals present, as well as the family, he was put in a military van and driven away. The activists were threatened with arrest if they took any pictures and the family’s cries and logical arguments didn’t change the situation. Fuad’s younger sisters were witnesses to the event and were clearly afraid and shocked.

During the hour of detention the sixteen-year-old boy was blindfolded, brought to a police station and questioned over and over again about the events during the day, when he in reality was visiting his uncle in a village nearby Jerusalem. The photos and videos that the military claimed existed were never shown and no further suspicion is claimed by Israeli forces.

Life in Hebron disrupted by another settler “tour”

26th May 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Team Al Khalil | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday the illegal settlers of the city of Al Khalil/Hebron held a walk through the Palestinian souq and nearby neighbourhoods. Prior to this, Israeli forces entered Palestinian homes, occupying roof tops. Throughout the tour Palestinian movement was restricted, and the soldiers controlled the movement of some international observers, while about 50 Zionist tourists and settlers were being escorted by Israeli heavily armed soldiers and police, around the Palestinian neighbourhoods of the old city.

Zionist tourists and settlers marching through the old city of Hebron (Photo by ISM)

About half an hour into the tour, an object was thrown towards the illegal settlers resulting in one receiving a head laceration, briefly disrupting the walk, after which he was able to continue with the tour.

Although it was unclear where this object came from, some soldiers broke away from the tour group and increased the aggressiveness of their patrol, intimidating Palestinians by pointing guns and invading privacy by looking into residents homes. Eventually they entered a house, further away from the location of the incident. At the time of the intrusion three children were alone in the house. The children were scared as the armed soldiers marched into their home, occupied the roof top and remained there for about ten minutes. Human right observers stayed with the children, monitoring the soldiers, until they left the house.

This “tour” of Hebron happens every week and is a regular disturbance for Palestinians in the busy souq of Hebron. Since the closure of Shuhada Street – traditionally the busiest market street in the Old City – more trade has moved into the souq. Rather than close it, many Palestinians believe that the Israeli authorities are trying to make life as uncomfortable and unsustainable as possible, in the hope that Palestinians will move from the area.

Israeli forces escorting the settler tour (Photo by ISM)

Soldiers invading the roof top of a Palestinian house (Photo by ISM)

Israeli military invades houses during settler tour of Hebron

13th April 2013 | International Solidarity Movement, Hebron, Occupied Palestine

By Team Khalil

Soldiers invading the souq - photo by ISM — Soldiers invading the souq – photo by ISM

Israeli soldiers invaded at least four Palestinian houses in the city of Hebron on Saturday 13th April, prior to and during the settler tour, intimidating children and families. During the tour, around fifty settlers and Jewish tourists occupied the Palestinian souq (market), surrounded by around fifty heavily-armed Israeli soldiers, border police and police officers.

Before the tour began, around twenty soldiers walked through the market, pointing guns into doorways, intimidating shoppers and restricting movement for Palestinians. At this point soldiers invaded two Palestinian homes, stationing themselves on the roofs of these homes for several hours until the end of the tour.

Following this initial military sweep of the area, fifty settlers and tourists entered the souq from settlements on Hebron’s Shuhada Street. Surrounded by around the same number of Israeli military personnel, they walked through the market, stopping regularly as their tour guides gave a biased, inaccurate and sensationalised account of the history of Hebron.

Soldiers invade a Palestinian home, scaring children. Photo by ISM

As the tour progressed through the souq, a group of soldiers split from the main group and invaded two other Palestinian houses, in one home disturbing a family with several young children and in another walking in on a young woman who was home alone (see video below). She stated that they enter her home every week, and she is usually the only person there. The soldiers are all heavily armed, aggressive and do not respond when asked why they are entering private Palestinian property.

After around an hour of disturbing Palestinian life in the souq, the settlers, tourists and soldiers returned to illegal Israeli settlements in the centre of the Old City of Hebron.

This “tour” of Hebron happens every week and is a regular disturbance for Palestinians in the busy souq of Hebron. Since the 2000 closure of Shuhada Street – traditionally the busiest market street in the Old City – more trade has moved into the souq. Rather than close it, many Palestinians believe that the Israeli authorities are trying to make life as uncomfortable and unsustainable as possible, in the hope that Palestinians will move from the area.

Hebron: Zionist paraders harass Palestinians, 7 internationals detained

by Alistair George and Ben Lorber

20 November 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Over 1000 American and International Zionists joined 700 extremist settlers in Hebron this weekend to celebrate the reading of the Torah portion detailing Abraham’s biblical purchase of Hebron land, and to assert sovereignty over the Palestinian residents of Hebron.

On Friday, many Zionist visitors camped in tents on Israeli-controlled Shuhada Street. Inebriated from the Shabbat festivities, the visitors harassed local Palestinians throughout the night.

On Saturday, soldiers stationed themselves through the streets of Hebron’s Old City, forcing the shutdown of Palestinian shops, while swarms of visitors were treated to an extensive settler-guided tour championing the Jewish roots of Old Hebron. In what was advertised by the Hebron Committee as “the most unforgettable Jewish experience of a lifetime”, throngs of young, mostly American males clapped and chanted ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ (‘life to the people of Israel’) and other nationalistic chants, while Palestinian residents were forced to the sidelines of their own streets and kept there by soldiers. Throughout the day, 7 international activists and 2 Palestinians were arrested.

While a few visitors were respectful to Palestinian shop owners and residents, many were outright hostile. Mohammed Awawdeah owns a small shop in the old city, selling glass bottles filled with intricate colored sand patterns. Some of his bottles were smashed by a passing settler.

“He came and broke my stuff,” Awawdeah says. “I told the police but they are not here for us, they are here for the settlers…I am not even angry for my stuff, I’m angry at the soldiers who let them do this”.

Hamday Dwaik decided to close his bakery in the old city, since his shop was targeted by settlers during the event last year. “The settlers don’t want me to open. If I open they will throw my products on the ground, no one will buy it”.The Israeli police have taken the details of the incident and said that they intend to carry out an investigation.

Laila Slemiah, who works in Women In Hebron, a woman’s collective in the old city selling kiffiyehs and embroidery, was determined not to close her shop.

“I know I won’t have any business today,” she said, “but I have to stay open. I’m not scared of them.”

Clashes were also reported between visiting Americans and international activists. One activist relates that “as we were walking, a group of young American Jewish boys got into an argument with us. They became threatening towards us, and one of them had an M16 around his waist. They told us they would break our camera, they told the nearby Palestinian shop owner they would burn down his shop, they told me I would be dead on the floor.”

As this event is touted by the Zionist community as a Biblically-ordained ‘return to the homeland’, an organization called Project Hayei Sarah has been founded in the U.S. and Israel, offering alternative interpretations of Abraham’s Biblical relationship to Hebron that challenge the attempted Zionist appropriation of this legend to legitimize territorial conquest.

Seven international observers were detained by the Israeli police over the course of the day. At around 8 am, five international activists were detained after they were observing the checkpoint in Israeli controlled H2 area. They were held at Kiryat Arba police station for 8 hours and were threatened with charges of ‘interfering with police work’ unless they signed a statement agreeing not to be in the H2 area for a week. Two other international activists were detained at around 2:35pm today after attempting to film settlers passing through the old city; they were taken to Kiryat Arba and held there for around 2 hours. They were released without any further action being taken.

As darkness fell and the rain became harder, the tour ended. Large groups of settlers gathered in Palestinian areas of Tel Rumeida. A rowdy group of around 15 settlers chanted and attempted to intimidate Palestinians outside a shop in Tel Rumeida at around 5pm. The Israeli police were called and the group dispersed shortly afterwards.

Alistair George and Ben Lorber are volunteers with International Solidarity Movement. Ben Lorber also writes for the Alternative Information Center.