Published on 19 December 2013, written by Alternative Information Center

A damaged roof after the storm

Last week a powerful snowstorm hit the West Bank, bringing the region to a standstill. The small communities of the West Bank’s South Hebron Hills did not escape the extreme weather conditions and a number of properties in Khallet Athaba’ and Al Mufaqarah were reported damaged.

On the night of Wednesday the 11^thof December, snow fell on the South Hebron Hills and gale force winds battered the small communities, causing a number of damages. The community of Khallet Athaba’, which lies within the borders of Firing Zone 918, was the most affected.

The residential tent of one family was torn open by the gale, allowing gushes of water to leak inside. At another home, the concrete bricks of the structure crumbled and collapsed, causing the roof to cave in.

A window made from plastic sheeting was completely destroyed by the strong gale, letting rain and snow inside and causing partial flooding, which destroyed many of the family’s belongings.

The roof of another house was shattered by a boulder that detached from a nearby rock face and hit the metal sheet covering the small shelter. Fortunately, the owner managed to escape his home before it was too late. The house was flooded and all of the residents’ belongings were ruined by water and mud.

The family, including small children, found themselves out in the open and decided to move into a cave normally used to shelter livestock.

By Amira Hass | Dec. 22, 2013

On commander’s orders, group that came to protect Palestinian farmers was turned back at border.

Soldiers prevented activists from Ta’ayush Arab-Jewish Partnership from entering the West Bank on Saturday, by order of the regional commander. For 13 years members of Ta’ayush have been accompanying dozens of Palestinian shepherds and farmers on the southern West Bank every Saturday, to help protect them from Jewish settlers who regularly try to keep them from reaching their private lands.

The soldiers separated the cars of Ta’ayush members from the rest of the Israeli cars entering the West Bank through the checkpoint on the Tunnel Road (Route 60) and the Betar checkpoint. When they reached the checkpoint, south of Jerusalem, Border Police officers showed them a military order, signed by the commander of the Etzion Regional Brigade, Col. Amit Yamin, restricting their movements.

At the Betar checkpoint the soldiers told the group they were waiting for the order to arrive from brigade headquarters and ordered them to remain until it did. The activists waited for a time but when the order did not arrive they passed through the checkpoint on foot.

Soldiers and police officers pursued them. Soldiers confiscated the keys of the Palestinian taxi the activists had boarded, and only returned them when the group got out of the cab.

Some of the Ta’ayush members did manage to reach the southern Hebron Hills, but at five different Jewish communities where they planned to help nearby Palestinian villagers they were shown documents declaring the areas closed military areas and signed by Judea Brigade commander Col. Avi Balut.

The activists and the Palestinian landowners were ordered to leave the communities: the settlements of Sussia and Carmel and the unauthorized outposts Maon, Havat Maon, Avigail and Mitzpeh Yair. Three of the original group of 20 activists, whom the soldiers at the Tunnel Road checkpoint did not identify, did escort one of the Palestinian farmers in the area of the Nokdim settlement.

The order reads: No person shall pass through the checkpoint except with permission given by me or a person authorized by me.

The IDF Spokesman stated: “The IDF is responsible for maintaining law and order in Judea and Samaria. Every week there are provocative gatherings in the area of Sussia and Mitzpe Yair, which have at times led to violent confrontations between residents of the area and even with the security forces. In accordance with the assessment and security considerations, it was decided not to allow free passage to all the buses, which, according to the assessment, were carrying people who were liable to disrupt public order, and to examine their entrance individually at a number of checkpoints in the southern area of Judea and Samaria.”

Ta’ayush activists near Havat Ma’on

Israel should drop its reluctance to enforce the law against ‘price tag’ attackers.

By Ziad J. Asali, Dec. 15, Haaretz

Violent assaults, desecrating mosques and churches, uprooting trees, destroying cars, and damaging property – these are all examples of “price tag” attacks carried out by extremist Israeli hooligans against Palestinians, mainly in the occupied territories. In a few cases this violence has even been perpetrated against Israeli security personnel. Unfortunately, and consistently, the thugs responsible often enjoy de facto impunity for their crimes.

Nel giorno di sole del 26 novembre mi fermo, dopo tanti giorni passati a correre su queste colline di sassi ed erba secca, a provare a guardarmi dentro, a prestare ascolto ai pensieri che mi rimbalzano, disordinati, per il cervello.

Sono sulla strada che porta a Mufaqarah, i ragazzi e gli uomini di tutte le famiglie di questo villaggio lavorano, spaccando pietre, per costruire il muretto a secco che costeggia la strada.
Ci danno dentro di brutto, urlano, scherzano, sudano e ridono senza fermarsi.
Ogni tanto un bicchierino di shai (con lo zatar o con la marmilla) scandisce il tempo e ricarica le energie: tutti si fermano, trovano un po’ di rami secchi per il fuoco. Un ragazzetto prende il borrado (la teiera) e prepara il tè, servendolo prima a noi ajaneb e poi ai più vecchi. Gli shabbab, i più giovani, aspettano che noi vuotiamo i bicchieri prima di riempire i loro. E’ il momento in cui ci si raccontano le storie, si commentano le notizie dei villaggi vicini e noi italiani siamo al centro dell’attenzione visto che ci muoviamo nell’area in lungo e in largo e conosciamo un sacco di persone. Poi, al cenno di M., il capovillaggio, giovani e vecchi insieme ricominciano a faticare, lasciando anche i discorsi a metà. Sono spesso stupito da questo loro atteggiamento, ma ora lo so, la gente qua è dura come le pietre: le parole infatti, a volte sono un di più, una cosa non strettamente necessaria rispetto al rumore del vento o del suono delle mazze che aprono le pietre. E il lavoro è ancora lungo e da finire prima delle piogge. Tra loro, c’è anche Ibrahim, un tipo un po’ matto… “Mishkino” mi dice M. a metà tra il divertito e il compassionevole “un poveretto, ritardato. Lui andrà sicuramente in paradiso. Allah ha voluto questa sua sfortuna sulla terra, per poi dargli una fortuna più grande, dopo. E’ malato in testa, ma è puro di cuore”.
Ibrahim viene preso in giro e lui sempre sta al gioco: si diverte a scambiare noi italiani per coloni israeliani, ci parla in ebraico, ci insulta. I ragazzi gli dicono di essere gentile con gli ebrei, che in fondo gli hanno “solo” portato via la casa pestandolo a sangue. Lui allora ritorna a parlare arabo e sembra far il gentile salvo per poi imprecare improvvisamente all’indirizzo delle nostre mamme e tutti ridono, e pure lui, felice di essere al centro dell’attenzione.
Lavora come un mulo, non si ferma neanche per il tè con tutti gli altri, che pure si fanno in quattro.
Ed è proprio in questi giorni di lavoro intenso che gli viene riconosciuta una funzione sociale, che si sente utile all’interno della comunità. Lui è quello che “tira” più di tutti, curvo sul suo piccone a spaccare queste rocce millenarie, quasi stesse combattendo la lotta antica della diversità contro il pregiudizio, abbattendo i muri a suon di mazzate.

Penso che ho molto da imparare da lui, da questo suo fare senza rivendicare piagnucolando, da questo suo affrontare di persona il proprio problema, esponendo e scoprendo anche le parti più deboli della propria persona.
E’ questo che posso ricevere da lui, il capire che le debolezze che gli altri vedono in noi sono una finestra aperta sul nostro essere, una via d’accesso per una accettazione completa di noi.

Se teniamo chiuse le imposte, se non mostriamo le nostre debolezze e le nostre paure più recondite, nascondiamo le vie d’accesso più profonde e più dirette. Per questo mi ritengo fortunato di aver incontrato Ibrahim: lui sa di essere un “mishkino”, un pazzo e non lo nasconde. Non chiude le imposte.

E poi mi guardo, mi vedo da fuori goffo e maldestro, in questo giorno di sole che non lascia spazio alle ombre: quali finestre posso aprire io?

Maquis

One of the structures under demolition order

On December 2, at about 11:40 am, two Palestinians from Jawwaya came in At Tuwani showing a demolition order for a house under construction, belonging to Ahmed Shawaiin, delivered few minutes before (at around 11.25 am). After that, two OD volunteers accompanied the Palestinians to Jawwaya, because they said that an other demolition order was delivered in the same time. When the OD volunteers arrived in the village, they saw an other demolition order under a stone near a tent used as a shelter for the sheep, belonging to Khalil Shawaiin. These demolition orders follow the stop working orders delivered on October 28.

The tent under demolition order, with a member of the Shawaiin family

270 olive trees damaged in the area from the beginning of 2013

(Italian follows)

November 30, 2013

At Tuwani – On the morning of November 29, a Palestinian noticed several olive trees damaged in two fields close to the outpost of Havat Ma’on. The owner is Rabai Palestinian family. When international observers arrived to the place, they counted 25 olive trees cut or seriously damaged. According to Rabai family, some of these olive trees were planted last year, after that the olive grove was damaged by settlers from Havat Ma’on.

The number of Palestinian-owned trees uprooted and damaged in the South Hebron Hills area from the beginning of 2013 now stands at 270. This is a substantial increase over 2012, when 101 olive trees were damaged.

This is the last case of serious olive grove destruction in the South Hebron Hills area. On the first of the 2013 year, on May 10, 62 olive trees were cut during the night in a field next to bypass road 317, near the village of At Tuwani. On a small wall near the olive grove the slogan “price tag for those who steal” was found.

According to Nir Hasson (Haaretz, August 21, 2013), “Jewish extremists originally used the term ‘price tag’ to describe vandalism and violence that targeted Israelis as well as Palestinians and was aimed at preventing or avenging evacuations of West Bank settlers.” John Lyons, instead, wrote (The Australian, September 17, 2011): “Some settlers practice a ‘price tag’ policy: if the Israeli government does something they do not like, such as trying to close an illegal outpost, they in turn punish Palestinians, by poisoning or burning olive trees, desecrating mosques or attacking cars.” Finally, according toThe Economist (September 2011): well-armed settlers “exact what they call ‘price-tags’ […] in the hope of provoking a conflict which they feel sure they could win.”

Olive trees are an essential resource for the Palestinian community in the South Hebron Hills area, and their damage causes serious economic loss.

Nevertheless the Palestinian communities of the South Hebron Hills area are still strongly involved using the nonviolence as a way to resist to the occupation.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

Pictures of the incident: http://snipurl.com/288w2n1

For further information:

Operation Dove, 054 99 25 773

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]

By Gili Cohen, November 26, 2013

Night raid in Yatta, At Tuwani views

Israeli security forces on Tuesday killed three armed Palestinians suspected of planning a terrorist attack against Israel in the coming days.

The three were killed in a joint raid by troops from the special police unit and the Shin Bet in the South Hebron Hills village of Kafr Yatta.

The suspects were members of a Salafist group operating in the Hebron area, the Shin Bet said in a statement, adding that pistols and explosive devices were found in their vehicle during the raid.

A senior Israeli officer said that a manhunt had been out after this particular group for the last week. He said the Israeli forces had opened fired in the direction of a vehicle carrying two of the passengers during the raid, and that an exchange of fire subsequently erupted.

“This is a local organization of a cell with an extreme religious orientation,” said the officer. He said forces were currently chasing other suspects in the territory. 

Witnesses told Haaretz that large forces surrounded several houses in the eastern edge of the village and declared the area a closed military site, preventing the residents from leaving their homes for hours on end, and that many youths clashed with the soldiers, hurling stones at them, and being repelled by gas grenades and rubber bullets.

Yatta residents identified the dead as Moussa Pansha, 22, Mohammed Nairuh, 23, and Mahmoud Anjar, also in his twenties, adding that all three were members of the Salafist movement of the village. There were contradictory reports as to whether the three were killed after exchanges of fire or were ambushed by an Israeli unit.

The Shin Bet investigation revealed that the cell had planned a series of terrorist attacks against Israeli targets, apparently plotting to kidnap and Israeli soldier, and against targets in the Palestinian Authority. A number of activists from the same terrorist cell had recently been arrested in the Hebron and Nablus areas, said the Shin Bet.

A wanted Palestinian was killed about a month ago near the West Bank village of Bili’in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces that had come to arrest him.

The Palestinian, 28-year-old Mohammed Aatsi, had been one of the masterminds behind the bombing of a Tel Aviv bus during Operation Pillar of Defense. He had been arrested several times in the past for his activity with the Islamic Jihad terror group.

Another two Palestinians, also activists with the Islamic Jihad, were arrested in the same raid.

Night raid in Yatta, At tuwani views

On sunday November 24, the escort didn’t accompany the children along the path from Tuba to At Tuwani school. The children arrived at the place in which was supposed they had to meet the escort at 7.55 AM and the escort wasn’t there. International volunteers called at around 8.00 AM the DCL, at around 8:05 AM and at around 8:10 AM the army. At about 8:15 the children chose to go to school by the long way, accompanied by two international volunteers. The children arrived at the school around 8:45.

On monday November 25, the children arrived at the place in which was supposed they had to meet the escort at 7:35 AM and they didn’t find the escort. After few minutes, international volunteers called the DCL and the Israeli army in order to make pressure. When the volunteers called the army, the army replied that they didn’t know that the escort didn’t come. At the second call probably the phone line went down or the army didn’t want to reply. So, the volunteers called Yesh Din and this organization called the army. The army answered to Yesh Din that the escort arrived, but they didn’t find the children, so they went away. The children decided to take the long way accompanied by two international volunteers. During the path, one settler’s car drove towards them, the two international volunteers and a Palestinian shepherd that was grazing near the long path. In spite of the scare, the children arrived to the school, at around 8:40. At 9:48 Dcl called the international volunteers asking if the escort accompanied the children or not, and at what time the children arrived at the chicken barns, suggesting to remember to the children to be on time in order to not give to the army the excuse to be late or not arrive.

Since the beginning of the school year, the children walked along the long way without escort 7 times.

Like all Saturdays, for almost one year already, Palestinian landowners in the South Hebron Hills are claiming their right to return to their land, on which Israeli settlers from Mitzpe Yair have built greenhouses

On November 23 at around 8.30 am, Palestinian, Israeli and international activists organized an action to access Palestinian-owned land in Umm Al Arayes, located adjacent to the Mitzpe Yair outpost. When several people arrived to the area for the action, Israeli soldiers immediately approached them, showing a military order that extended the permanent closed military zone (usually limited to a valley between a Palestinian village and the Mitpe Yair outpost) to the entire Mitzpe Yair area, including the Palestinian-owned land..

Despite the closed military zone order, Palestinians, accompanied by Israeli activists from Ta’ayush, an Arab and Jewish grassroots nonviolent movement, decided to enter their land, but were stopped by a group of settlers who began beating them.The settlers also attacked the Israeli activists, kicking, breaking and stealing their cameras. The soldiers, arriving to the area running and attempted to push everyone away – except for the settlers. After beating the Palestinians, the Israeli soldiers violently detained 15 of them in addition to two Israeli activists, forcing them to sit on the ground. Ta’ayush said that Israeli forces threatened death to those who tried to stand up, while the soldiers further discouraged videotaping the incident. Men and women were separated to prevent communication. Several of the detained people were beaten. After several minutes all the persons detained were released, except for five Palestinians (including the landowner and two girls aged 22 and 13) and two Ta’ayush activists, who were taken to the police station in the settlement of Kiryat Arba.

They were charged with assaulting and beating the soldiers, entering in a closed military area, in addition to interfering with police work.

For the landowner this was the second time in November that he was arrested while attempting to access his own land.

 (Israeli forces threathed to death who tried to stand up and soldiers dissuaded to tape also. They separated boys from girls to prevent the communication. Some people under detention were beaten).

Police demanded a 1000 shekel bond for each person to be released.

During the entire event, no action was taken against the settlers by the Israeli soldiers or police officers.

In previous weeks, like on Saturday, the Israeli army declaration of lands as closed military zone has impeded the Palestinians from accessing their land and this right. Since 2001 the Palestinians in the area have faced restricted access to these lands.

Video of the incident: http://youtu.be/4VPjd1AQEg8

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]

22 November 2013

At Tuwani – On the morning of November 19, two Palestinian shepherds and a staff member of the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem were detained by Israeli army in the South Hebron Hills. The shepherds had been grazing their flocks on  Khelly Hill, At Tuwani village area. This hill is located adjacent to the Israeli settlement of Ma’on.

At 7.50 a.m. international volunteers noticed the Ma’on security coordinator, named Gedalia, was close to two Palestinian shepherds, while three Israeli soldiers were also approaching them.

The soldiers spoke with Gedalia and then asked the Palestinians for their identification cards,  which they did not have.
Gedalia tried to prevent the internationals from videotaping this incident.

After several minutes Gedalia, in front of the soldiers, said to the Palestinians: “You come from Carmel (a village near At Tuwani), you go back to Carmel and you stay over there and if you want to come here, you have to come with your ID”. The Palestinians responded by questioning his authority to give them orders.
At around 8.00 a.m. a B’tselem staff member arrived to the area and the Ma’on security coordinator began to scream at him. At 8:25 a.m. the soldiers asked the B’tselem staffer, who is  Palestinian, for his ID card. They took  without any explanations. The soldiers told the internationals that Palestinians aren’t allowed to graze sheep in that area, although the soldiers showed no maps and gave no clear explanations about this decision.

At around 8.30 a.m. Israeli police arrived and, after consulting with the Ma’on security coordinator and soldiers, took the two Palestinian shepherds to the police station in the settlement of Kiryat Arba, accusing them of grazing their flock on Israeli land and moving without ID cards. The two shepherds were released after 2.5 hours, after police checked their identities. During this entire time, the Palestinian staff member of B’tselem was detained without charge and without any explanation. At around 11.30 a.m. soldiers returned his ID card to him.

On October 15, Operation Dove volunteers were present when an Israeli soldier, under the orders of the aforementioned Ma’on security coordinator Gedalia, arrested a Palestinian shepherd without any charges (see more: http://snipurl.com/287iuex). After taking the shepherd to the Suseya military base for interrogation and to check his identity, they left him near the outpost of Shi’ma, somes 17 kilometers from the place of arrest.