Tag: Settlers - Page 18 - International Solidarity Movement

Roadblocks, stun grenades and settler aggression: another Jewish holiday in occupied al-Khalil

23rd October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The events of Tuesday the 18^th of October began to unravel as my friend and I accompanied school children through an Israeli checkpoint (Salaymeh) as they made their way home that afternoon. On our return journey from the school we noticed a car stopped next to a number of school children, its passengers yelling loudly at them, prompting us to film the confrontation. When the driver became aware of our filming the car began to move slowly towards us. As it neared, the car accelerated slightly, forcing us to move quickly to avoid it. Some of the passengers immediately jumped from the car and began to hurl insults at us, calling us “Nazis” and “Jew killers”. They continued in this fashion, pushing and shouting at us to “leave their land” until we were forced through the checkpoint to relative safety. The soldiers present did little to stifle their aggression towards us and even offered one of these men a friendly pat on the back as we left.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ8tLf5tnfY

After passing through the checkpoint we noticed an armored bulldozer parked outside the gate and so we decided to wait a while. Before long the checkpoint gate opened and the bulldozer began to move through the street towards another checkpoint (Qeitun), accompanied by three armed Israeli soldiers. We followed it to Qeitun where it began to fashion a roadblock from rubble, large stone blocks and rubbish that was piled up in the street. As we got closer the soldiers began shouting aggressively at us to stop, preventing us from properly observing what they were doing. In the commotion a number of people came out from their homes and businesses, and children, whose homeward journey was blocked due to the soldiers activity, began to congregate at a nearby junction. With this, the soldiers began pointing their weapons threateningly into the crowd. One soldier regularly lifted a stun grenade from his jacket pocket, seemingly eager to use it. As the bulldozer returned to Salaymeh, soldiers continued to fixate their rifles on young children and people passing by. One soldier aimed his rifle at children moving through a near by field, laughing out loud as they ran, terrified that he might fire at them. As the bulldozer passed through Salaymeh, a single stone was thrown from the crowd of school children who had congregated at that junction, landing harmlessly on the ground at the soldier’s feet. In response, the soldier ran towards the congregated school children, throwing a stun grenade into the middle of the crowd causing it to scatter in a frenzied panic. Again he laughed at this triumph.

An armored bulldozer rolls out of the Salaymeh checkpoint through the Palestinian neighborhood to create a roadblock off of a narrow side street.

Roadblock built from large stones and rotting garbage blocking off a Palestinian side street near the Qeitun checkpoint.

It was clear that these children, ranging in age between 5-15, posed no real threat to these soldiers and most were simply waiting to go home. Many of the adults among them, some of whom were presumably teachers, tried tirelessly to keep the children out of harms way. Despite this the soldiers enjoyed taunting the crowd and frightening them with violent intimidation and excessive use of force.

To the Palestinian residents of Hebron such incidents are a familiar occurrence, but these operations increase in regularity during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which draws hundreds of Jewish holidaymakers to the fully Israeli controlled H2 part of the city to celebrate the “Feast of the Tabernacles”. Under the auspice of “security”, Israeli military presence similarly escalates during this period, as the number of roadblocks, closures and checkpoints increases dramatically. A number of Palestinian-owned businesses are even forced to close during this time and many residents are prevented from entering or leaving their homes as Jewish tourists parade freely through the so-called Palestinian controlled H1 part of the city, accompanied by soldiers armed heavily with rifles and a variety of other weaponry. Armed guards frequently humiliate and harass Palestinian residents, young and old, with an upsurge in the frequency and ferocity of body searches. Barricades are erected to separate passing Palestinians from Jewish tourists, further reinforcing the apartheid system already enforced by the illegal Israeli occupation of Hebron.

An atmosphere of trepidation consumes the Palestinian residents of Hebron during Sukkot for fear that this military escalation will be used to further the Israeli agenda of “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians from the city. Violence, eviction and destruction of property at the hands of settlers and the Israeli forces has become commonplace for the Palestinian population of Hebron who, despite it all, remain admirably resolute and resilient throughout.

School children prevented from returning home due to this activity by the Israeli forces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQiyLibtpmo

“No Palestinians during the holiday”: Palestinian man harassed during Sukkot

21st October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Late Thursday morning, as Palestinian schools in the Old City of occupied al-Khalil (Hebron) were dismissing their students early due to enhanced settler activity, Israeli forces harassed a Palestinian man and denied him his right of movement through the large parking lot near the base of al-Ibrahimi Mosque. The reason for this incident, as well as the increase in settler activity, was due to the weeklong Jewish holiday of Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles. Throughout this entire week, Israeli Forces have increased their numbers stationed around the Mosque, and it was one of these members of the occupation forces that decided to harass this Palestinian civilian.

The man, a local tour guide in the Old City of al-Khalil, entered the parking lot in order to reach a group of Turkish tourists who had just arrived. Upon setting foot in the lot, two members of the Israeli Border Police approached him, with one using his hands to physically shove him away from the cordoned off entrance. As he tried to explain that he merely wanted to pass through to reach the tourists, the border policeman raised his voice and shouted at him to get back. When the man asked why he was not allowed to pass through when so many tourists were permitted to, the answer he received was, “You are Palestinian. No Palestinians pass through here during the holiday.” The man had no choice but to turn around and walk around the parking lot.

The denial towards Palestinians of their right to movement by Israeli forces is a fundamental weapon of the occupation. By preventing Palestinians from entering historical and religious sites, and working to minimize their presence around Jewish festivities, Israel uses the excuse of the holidays to continue its process of ethnically cleaning al-Khalil of its indigenous Palestinian population. On Wednesday, Israeli Forces came out in force to block off a road in the so-called Palestinian controlled H1 area to allow settlers from the illegal Israeli settlements to have access to a supposed prayer site in the city. This is merely one of the many examples of how Jewish holidays act as a cover for forceful intimidation of Palestinians.

The harassment of this man this morning is symptomatic of the devaluation of Palestinian life under the Israeli occupation across the land of Palestine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrToi8Hq2AM

Israeli forces shut down Palestinian street for Sukkot tour in occupied al-Khalil

20th October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

Shortly after noon on October 19, Israeli Forces began congregating on the militarized H2 side of the Shuhada Street checkpoint in occupied al-Khalil. A massive gathering of international Jewish tourists and settlers from the nearby illegal Israeli settlements followed shortly after. This is nothing new for the people of occupied al-Khalil – every year during the week of Sukkot, the Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles, Israeli forces shut down part of the central square of Bab al-Zawiye to form a “safe zone” for settlers and tourists.

Palsetinian civilians forced to stand back as Israeli forces take over area outside Shuhada Street checkpoint. — Palestinian civilians forced to stand back as Israeli forces take over area outside Shuhada Street checkpoint.

First to exit the checkpoint into the so-called Palestinian controlled H1 area were the Israeli forces. After forming a human barrier around the two armored cars that had just arrived from around the corner via an H1 street, additional soldiers marched up towards a supposed sacred site in order to line themselves up in the “safe zone” formation. Once this had been done, massive groups of settlers and tourists began walking along this now-militarized Palestinian street. By this point, snipers had set up on rooftops, soldiers had sound bombs at the ready, and Israeli forces of all colors were spontaneously aiming their weapons at unarmed Palestinian civilians as a form of intimidation.

Jewish tourists and settlers from nearby illegal Israeli settlements walk up and down the now-militarized H1 street.

These “safe zones” are simply additional tools used by Israeli forces to further their ethnic cleansing operations in occupied al-Khalil. The military setup of the operation presented a distorted and dehumanized spectacle of Palestinians as wild, bloodthirsty animals that needed to be controlled to the settlers, when in reality these people were only seeking to shop, socialize, and live their normal, everyday lives. By demonizing Palestinian civilians as “terrorists” and presenting their military offenses as “security operations”, Israeli forces have sought to justify their illegal incursions into the H1 area. These incursions present an ample opportunity for arrests and acts of violence against Palestinians, in many cases leading to the clearing of Palestinian residents to make room for additional illegal Israeli settlements.

Therefore, not only are these guided settler tours and the militarized “safe zones” they conjure up used as a powerful zionist propaganda presentation, they are in fact part and parcel with Israel’s process of ethnically cleansing al-Khalil of its indigenous Palestinian population. At no time is this practice so consistently played out annually than during the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Every year in occupied al-Khalil, settlers and tourists from Israel and abroad are bussed in by the truckloads towards the al-Ibrahimi mosque.

Israeli Border Police block off roads leading to the settler tour destination, doing whatever they please to modify the physical boundaries of the occupation.

The mosque becomes shut down for Palestinian Muslims and many of the checkpoints throughout the city are closed at random points with no prior warning. As Jewish tourists set up tents on the lawn in front of the mosque, many abandoned buildings (former homes of evicted Palestinians) are refitted into military bases. Students from the nearby schools are forced to walk to and from school past this military madness every day of the week, and young male Palestinians are stripped searched for weapons while Israeli settlers are allowed to walk by fully armed to the teeth with assault weapons slung across their bodies out in the open.

What happened today in the thriving Palestinian center of Bab al-Zawiye is nothing new for the people of occupied al-Khalil. It is simply a systemic occurrence of the slow and violent creep of ethnic cleansing by the state of Israel towards the people of occupied Palestine.

Snipers line the rooftops of H1, aiming at Palestinian civilians as a form of intimidation.

All of this violent intimidation just so that Jewish tourists and settlers can pray in this house for a few minutes.

Photo story: Feast of intimidation, oppression and illegall annexation

2oth October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

This past week marked the feast of Sukkot, which brought settlers from illegal settlements all over the occupied West Bank to al-Khalil (Hebron). There, with restrictions, harassment, collective punishment and intimidation of Palestinians – all in favor of the illegal settlers – the spirit of the Jewish holiday was turned into a feast of intimidation and oppression for the Palestinian residents, going hand in hand with increasing illegal annexation of their land.

With bus-loads of settlers from all over the illegaly occupied Palestinian West Bank pouring into al-Khalil, Israeli forces stepped up the movement-restrictions and checkpoint closures for Palestinians even more, thus making the maze of checkpoints, already almost impossible to navigate into a maze that ends mainly in dead-ends. For several days, the main checkpoint connecting the Palestinian market with the area around the Ibrahimi Mosque was closed for Palestinians, and Palestinian shop-owners in the mosque-area were forced shut by the Israeli forces – all to facilitate settler movement in areas that lack any presence of Palestinians.

The road connecting the settlements in the heart of al-Khalil with the Kiryat Arba settlement on the outskirts of al-Khalil – where only settlers are allowed to drive – has largely been cordonned off with police-barriers.

The area cordonned off by #IsraeliForces — The area cordonned off by Israeli forces

Thus, school-children were not only forced to pass an even larger amount of heavily-armed military and police forces, but also navigate the maze of complete closures for Palestinians, areas to avoid due to excessive settler presence and the gates put up preventing movement in certain directions.

School-children forced to pass heavily-armed Israeli forces and maze of police-barriers — School-children forced to pass heavily-armed Israeli forces and the maze of police-barriers

Students of al-Faihaa girls school in the Ibrahimi Mosque area, where just recently a new CCTV surveillance tower was put up following and recording every step of the Palestinian residents movement, are now studying right next to a military encampment. The building right next to the girls school entrance has already been mis-used and turned into a military encampement during last year’s Sukkot celebrations.

Building illegally occupied by Israeli forces for a military base

On Tuesday, many of the settlers arriving to al-Khalil on the occassion of the holiday, were ‘guided’ through the Palestinian market by Israeli forces, preventing Palestinians’ access in their own marketplace for hours. Just a day later, soldiers effectively imposed a curfew on the tiny strip of Shuhada Street where Palestinians are still allowed to walk, the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and the Bab al-Zawwiya area. The latter is located in the H1 area of al-Khalil, supposedly under full Palestinian control. With the closure of Shuhada checkpoint for six hours on Wednesday, Palestinian civilians were either locked inside or outside their houses, while settlers were accompanied by heavily armed military forces to a tomb located in the H1-area, forcing shop-owners to close.

On Thursday morning, Israeli forces marched through the streets of al-Khalil, with drums and music, in a pure show of force and power. The march went on the settler only road, that has been ethnically cleansed from Palestinian cars (but does still allow Palestinian pedestrians), illustrating the continuous plans and attempts to connect the illegal settlements in an area ethnically cleansed of any Palestinian presence.

Throughout the increasing efforts to illegally annex more and more strips of land, and erase first the memory of the Palestinian heritage as a step to then erase the whole Palestinian population, Israeli forces are employing the ‘power of words’. More and more areas, streets and houses that belong to Palestinians, but in which settlers have already moved in (and were succinctly kicked out by the army), are given Hebrew names, eradicating the Palestinian names. This is just one small step of illegal annexation that even goes so far to call the illegal Israeli settlements in the city center of al-Khalil “Jewish neighborhoods”.

Signs put up for 'tourist settlers' in al-Khalil by Israeli forces — Signs put up for ‘tourist settlers’ in al-Khalil by Israeli forces

With the holiday of Sukkot lasting for another three days, more restrictions and harassment are expected. And even with the end of the holiday, the restrictions, harassment and intimidation of Palestinian civilians solely and deliberately on the ground of their ethnic group, with the continuous illegal annexation of the land, will not stop as long as the illegal occupation is allowed by the international community to continue their efforts of ethnic cleansing.

Photo story: Jewish holidays bring harassment to occupied Hebron

6th October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

The 3rd and 4th of October marked the celebrations of the Yewish New Year. In the occupied West Bank, Jewish holidays, celebrated by the settlers from the illegal settlements. This usually translates to an increase in harassment, restrictions and the presence of heavily-armed military occupying forces and settlers, often not only from the illegal settlements of the respective cities, but additionally ‘settler-visitors’. In occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), with the celebrations for the New Year now past, preparations for the upcoming week-long holiday of Sukkot are already underway.

Palestinian children play outside their homes - right next to heavily armed Israeli forces watching movement of Palestinians — Palestinian children play outside their homes – right next to heavily armed Israeli forces watching movement of Palestinians

During the two-day celebration of the Yewish New Year, the part of Ibrahimi Mosque that has not been confiscated by the Israeli forces has been closed entirely for Palestinians and Muslims. Sixty percent of the Mosque was illegally annexed by Israeli forces who installed a synagogue inside in the aftermath of the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre. Additionally, the nearby Ibrahimi Mosque checkpoint that connects the new Palestinian market (after the closure and ethnic cleansing of Shuhada Street, the former bustling Palestinian market, in the aftermath of the Ibrahimi mosque massacre) with the Ibrahimi Mosque area has been closed for Palestinians since Sunday night. This leaves Palestinians, including residents, school-students and teachers with only few options to reach school, work and their homes, as the closest alternative of Shuhada Street is ‘illegal’ to use for Palestinians under Israeli occupation ‘rules’. On Thursday, October 6th, both the Mosque and the nearby checkpoint were closed as well – even though there’s no official Yewish holiday; yet another arbitrary movement restriction on Palestinians in order to favour settlers.

These movement restrictions, which are solely and deliberately only enforced on Palestinians, have directly impeded the right to education in various areas. At Ziad Jaber school near the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, school-students, their parents walking them to school and teachers had to cross paths with the heavily-armed settlers, and often undergo bag-, ID- and body-searches based on racial profiling by the Israeli forces. Young adult men are especially targeted by these arbitrary and often humiliating searches, where they are forced to lift up their shirts and trouser-legs, basically getting half-undressed in public.

Palestinian young men are forced to lift up their shirts and trouser-legs by Israeli Forces near Ziad Jaber school

A similar procedure is enforced on Palestinians when Israeli settlers from the illegal Kiryat Arba settlement walk down to Ibrahimi Mosque (the 60% of it where a synagogue was installed) in the evenings. As any Friday night, where the settlers have the same ritual for Shabbat, Palestinians are oftentimes stopped by Israeli forces who completely line the roads the settlers will be taking, in order to allow for settlers to pass the street before allowing Palestinians to continue their way. Often, Israeli forces stop especially young men and force them to undergo similar checks, ordering them to lift up their shirts and turn around, and then lift up their trouser legs.

Israeli forces at night force Palestinian to lift up his shirt

Opposite the al-Faihaa girls school in the Ibrahimi Mosque area, Israeli forces put up an additional CCTV surveillance tower, registering and locking Palestinians’ every movement. The structure is fenced off with concrete blocks and barbed wire, and always manned with at least two soldiers.

CCTV surveillance tower newly put up in Palestinian neighborhood

For the upcoming holiday of Sukkot, where many settlers from the illegal settlements all over the Israeli occupied West Bank are expected to visit the Ibrahimi Mosque (the 60% of it where a synagogue has been installed), preparations in al-Khalil are under way for making the area as empty as possible of any Palestinian presence. New sign-posts are being put up to indicate directions for the ‘visitors’. Changing and ‘Hebrew-nising’ street names, giving Hebrew names to houses illegaly taken over by settlers, etc. has already been identified as one of the tools of the Israeli occupation to lay claim to Palestinian property and streets – an obvious attempt to erase the Palestinian existence in the mind of the people first. At the same time, ethnic cleansing is slowly but steadily taking place, especially in the Old City of al-Khalil.