Tag: Settler violence - Page 33 - International Solidarity Movement

Reham Dawabshe’s funeral

8th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Duma, Occupied Palestine

Yesterday, Monday 7th September, at approximately 1pm, thousands of people where waiting for martyr, Reham Dawabshe, to arrive to Duma to attend her funeral.

After struggling for five weeks from severe burns all over her body, Reham Dawabshe died in the hospital. Reham’s home was attacked by illegal Israeli settlers on July 31st, by smashing the windows in the middle of the night, throwing in flammable liquids and molotov bombs and setting the whole house on fire. Her 18-month-old baby, Ali, died in the flames trapped in the house and her husband, Saed, died one week later in the hospital.

Saed, Reham and Ali Dawabshe, now all gone. Photo credit: Rex Features

Until this day, only 4-year-old, Ahmad, has survived but is still struggling from severe wounds in the hospital.

4 year old Ahmad Dawabshe is still in the hospital.

Thousands of people mourned the mother’s death in Duma, including hundreds of teachers and dozens of students from the Jurish School for Girls, where Reham worked as a math teacher. Many government representatives were present, including the Governor of Nablus, Akram al-Rujoub, and the Minister of Education, Sabri Seidam.

Thousands march in funeral procession in Duma. Photo credit ISM

Message from Directorate of Education of South Nablus. 'Gardens of Eternity, Martyrs go to Paradise, Oh, martyr, Reham Dawabshe' Photo credit ISM — Message from Directorate of Education of South Nablus. ‘Gardens of Eternity, Martyrs go to Paradise, Oh, martyr, Reham Dawabshe’ Photo credit ISM

Funeral procession where people demanded for justice and political unity. Photo credit ISM

Reham's funeral march. Photo credit ISM — Reham’s funeral march. Photo credit ISM

Palestinians marched towards the family grave. Photo credit ISM

Reham was buried next to her husband and son. Photo credit ISM

Soon after the funeral procession was finished, clashes broke out in the entrance of the village of Duma, where Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and sound grenades towards Palestinian youth.

Clashes broke out in the entrance of Duma after the funeral. Photo credit ISM

To this day, the perpetrators of the arson attack that killed Ali, Reham and Saed Dawabshe have not been arrested. Israeli authorities only arrested a few random settlers right after the event occurred in order to show in the news media that they were working to make justice, but soon after most of these suspects were released.

It is important to note that the great majority of attacks perpetuated by illegal Israeli settlers towards Palestinian villagers are always ignored by the Israeli authorities, whereas Palestinians are harassed, imprisoned and beaten by Israeli soldiers on a daily basis for no reason.

Jabari family again facing the threat of losing their land

6th September 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The Jabari family in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) is again facing threats of settlers, taking over their land.

Settlers coming from the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba onto Palestinian land for prayers

The family owns a piece of land sandwidched between the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba and the Israeli police station Givat Ha’vot. Settlers built a synagogue tent on the land, but the Israeli Supreme Court finally took the decision that as it is illegal and has to be demolished in the beginning of this year. This resulted in attacks by settlers on the family, Palestinians living in the neighbourhood and human rights observers.

Settlers praying on the Jabari-family land

The area is now declared a closed military zone, so the settlers coming to pray there last Friday are illegaly trespassing and should be arrested for their crime. Still, they were protected by Israeli forces refusing to interfere. The case involving settlers taking over this land has been dragged on in court since 2000, which keeps the family from actually using their own land.

Israeli forces protecting settlers trespassing on private Palestinian land

Settler attacking international activists in Hebron

1st September | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Yesterday in al-Khalil (Hebron) in occupied Palestine, a female settler harassed and attacked international activists who were monitoring a checkpoint during school-time.

In the morning volunteers were standing close to Qurtuba school, monitoring children on their way to school. This school is particularly prone to attacks by settlers, as the stairs leading to the school are located directly at the entrance to Shuhada Street, which has been entirely closed for Palestinian and occupied by settlers since 1994.

Anat Cohen, infamous for several attacks on Palestinians, came driving down the street and suddenly almost backed up into the international activists, who had to jump out of the way in order to avoid being run over. She then got out of the car yelling at the volunteers to leave, insulting them verbally and threatening to beat them. The soldier stationed at the checkpoint right opposite did not intervene, even when repeatedly being asked for help by the activists. When the police arrived they ‘explained’ Anat Cohen’s behaviour by stating that it was the first day of school after the holidays for children from the illegal settlements in al-Khalil. They then ordered the internationals to do as Anat Cohen requested and not stand on the street. This is just another striking example of the power individual settlers exercise over the police.

In the afternoon, the volunteers returned to the checkpoint for the end of the school-day for Palestinian children in Qurtuba school and the close-by kindergarten. When Anat Cohen came driving by in her car again, she was driving directly towards one of the volunteers in fast speed. The activist was only able to save herself from being hit in the last minute by running away. Instead of taking any action against Anat trying to hit the volunteers with their car, the soldier threatened the volunteers to call the police and have them arrested if they did not leave immediately.

Watch the video of Anat Cohen attacking internationals here.

Continual harrassment, threatening and intimidation of Palestinian family by settlers in Hebron

25th August 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil Team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

The Palestinian Abu Rajab family in the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron) is facing continual intimidation by groups of settlers and Israeli forces protecting these settlers in their attempts to take over the Abu Rajab family home.

In the last few weeks, settlers from the nearby illegal Israeli settlements on various occasions have camped outside the home under the protection of the Israeli forces, leaving the family confined to the house not able to leave fearing attacks by settlers as well as settlers taking over the rest of the house.

Settler women with their children blocking the stairs to the Abu Rajab house

In March 2012, a group of settlers from illegal settlements within the city broke the gate of the house and occupied the two upper floors of the house at night-time during Passover. Afterwards the settlers claimed to have legally bought the house, a claim that until now could not be proven legit by an Israeli court. Until the final decision of the court, the Abu Rajab extended family is not permitted to use that part of their home. The same year, one of the sons, in his early twenties, was arrested and put in administrative detention (detention without charges or trial) for a year.

When in September 2013 an Israeli soldier was shot in the neighbourhood of the Abu Rajab house, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu promised the settler movement that they would be allowed to move back into the house.

Settler women, Palestinians sitting opposite

Since the beginning of this year, the threats and attacks by settlers on the family have increased. A month ago, during Passover, settlers again tried to move into the house. Instead of protecting the family from these repeated and unlawful attacks, they threatened the family to leave the house. Since then, settlers again and again camp or even sleep outside the families’ home. On Monday and Tuesday, small groups of settler women with their children have been blocking the stairs to the house’s door all afternoon. The children, all under eight years old, were instrumentalised by their mothers as they are too young to understand what was going on. Palestinian children playing nearby the house were forced by soldiers to leave the area.

Palestinian home and market attacked by settlers from illegal settlement of Beit Hadassah

29th July 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al Khalil Team | Al Khalil, Occupied Palestine

At 18:30 PM on the 29th of June 2015, masked settlers from the nearby illegal settlement of Beit Hadassah attacked Palestinian houses and souq (market) with a water hose and stones.
Shadi Sider, a Palestinian man, had to be hospitalized due to a stone thrown by a settler that hit him in the knee. The settlers attacked the Sider family home, the water went inside the living room, completely soaking the interior including a computer. During the attack, an Israeli settler arrived with an assault rifle. Israeli soldiers were present throughout the entire incident, they stood and watched but never intervened to stop the settler violence. They were standing above the Palestinian market, which they occupy.
Six children, all under the age of five years old, were present in the family home at the time of the attack; stones were also thrown at the property. This is not the first time that the family home has been attacked by settlers. Just last Saturday, the settlers sprayed water at the same home and threw stones. The Sider family home overlooks the settler basketball court and illegal settlement of Beit Hadassah.
Twenty Israeli soldiers were present in the souq after the incident today. They came into the Sider home, looked around, and left without speaking to Shadi Sider’s wife, whose home was just attacked by settlers. Time and time again settlers have attacked the Sider family home yet none of them are ever reprimanded for doing so.
Video provided to ISM by the Sider family.