February 12, 2014

At Tuwani – Yesterday in the afternoon Palestinians discovered about eighty olive trees uprooted alongside bypass road 317 near the Susiya junction in the South Hebron Hills.

The olive tree grove belongs to the Hushiya family from the nearby town of Yatta and had been planted only three weeks ago. Yesterday afternoon the owners and B’tselem staff members gathered near the destroyed trees, waiting for the police. The Israeli police and District Coordination Office arrived on the scene and documented the incident. Today Operation Dove volunteers and B’tselem staff went there to take more pictures.

This field is part of the area that settlers from the nearby settlement of Suseya illegally occupied during 2007, planting a vineyard. Immediately the Palestinians with the help of Rabbis for Human Rights filed a complain and started a legal process concerning this land (for more details click here). In 2013 the Israeli High Court ordered the army to dismantle theese crops and the order was implemented by force.

The number of Palestinian-owned trees uprooted and damaged in the South Hebron Hills area since the beginning of 2014 now rises to 100. Olive trees are an essential resource for the Palestinian community, and their damage causes serious economic loss.

Nevertheless the Palestinian communities of the South Hebron Hills area are still strongly involved in using nonviolence as a way to resist to the Israeli occupation. Just two days ago twenty-five Palestinians planted sixty new olive trees on their own land close to Avigayil illegal outpost (for more details click here).

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

Pictures of the incident: click here

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.]

January 25, 2014

In the mornings of January 24 and 25, settlers from Karmel prevented Bedouin shepherds from crossing the hill in front of the Umm Al Kheer village in the South Hebron Hills.

On January 24, some fifty settlers were planting olive trees on that hill. When the Bedouins tried to cross it with their sheep, they were stopped by settlers and forced to move down the hill. Although the Israeli army arrived on the scene, the soldiers did nothing to stop the settlers. Israeli activists arrived to the area and spoke with officers from the District Coordination Office (DCO) and police, asserting the Bedouins’ right to cross the hill.

On January 25, some twenty settlers stopped Bedouin shepherds, Israeli activists and a B’tselem staff member who were crossing the same hill. Several settlers also chased the sheep. After 15 minutes the Israeli army declared the area a closed military zone and forced everyone to leave the place.

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La mattina del 24 e 25 gennaio i coloni di Karmel hanno impedito ai pastori beduini di attraversare la collina antistante al villaggio di Umm Al Kheer.

Il primo giorno, circa cinquanta coloni stavano piantando degli alberi sulla cima della collina in questione. Nel momento in cui i beduini hanno cercato di attraversarla con le loro pecore sono stati fermati dai coloni, i quali li hanno obbligati a spostarsi sul fondo valle. In quel momento l’esercito israeliano era sul posto e non ha preso nessun provvedimento nei confronti dei coloni. Subito dopo, sono arrivati gli attivisti israeliani e hanno discusso con i funzionari della DCO (District Coordination Office) e la polizia, affermando il diritto dei pastori di poter transitare sulla collina.

Il secondo giorno, circa venti coloni hanno impedito il passaggio ai pastori beduini, agli attivisti iraeliani e ad un operatore di B’tselem durante l’attraversamento della medesima collina. Alcuni tra i coloni hanno scacciato le pecore facendole ritornare verso il villaggio. Dopo un quarto d’ora l’esercito israeliano ha dichiarato l’area “zona militare chiusa” costringendo tutti i presenti ad allontanarsi.

January 24, 2014

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.

At Tuwani, 4 November 2013

Yesterday morning Palestinians from the South Hebron Hills village of Bir al Idd found the sole access road to their village closed by a road block composed of two big stones. These stones were placed precisely in front of the nearby illegal outpost of Mitzpe Yair.

When at around 8:30 AM several Palestinian, Israeli and international activists arrived on the scene, they saw the road block (most likely made by the settlers) and a settler shepherd grazing his sheep on the field adjacent to this path.

The activists immediately informed the Israeli army so the road block would be removed. Five minutes later Israeli soldiers arrived at the area to monitor the situation, but they didn’t remove the roadblock.

The activists then called the Israeli police and waited for about 40 minutes, but the police failed to arrive. The road block was then removed by the Israeli army at around 1.00 pm.

This is not the first time this kind of harassment occurs on this road. On August 18, settlers from Mitzpe Yair built there twice in one day a road block, which prevented access to the village for over six hours (see more: http://snipurl.com/27ystqj).

Soldiers pushing Palestinian away, after declaring “close military area”

On November 2 at around 8.30 AM, Palestinian, Israeli and international activists organized an action to access the Palestinian-owned land in Umm Al Arayes (in front of Mitzpe Yair outpost). Like all saturdays for almost one year already, the Palestinian landowners are claiming their right to return to their land, on which settlers from Mitzpe Yair have built greenhouses.

Demolition orders have been issued against the greenhouses by the Israeli District Coordination Office. However, when several Palestinians arrived near the outpost, some ten settlers came out and pushed them in aggressive manner. Suddenly Israeli soldiers and Border Police officers declared the area a “close military zone” and started to push all the people away – but not the settlers.

After several minutes, two Palestinians (the owners of the field) were arrested, but nothing was done about the settlers who remained in this closed military area. The two Palestinians were released Sunday, after the payment of a bill of 1500 NIS for each person.

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.

Soldiers prevent Palestinian to access their land

Other pictures of the nonviolent action: http://snipurl.com/283zkjh

Press Release of the incident: http://snipurl.com/280gnp9

Despite finding the man guilty of operating outside his authorized territory and committing a criminal offense, Israeli army hasn’t removed him from position.

by Chaim Levinson – October 10, 2013

The security coordinator for the West Bank settlement of Avigail who is responsible for the placement of a roadblock preventing access to the adjacent Palestinian villages will remain in his position.

A Haaretz investigation found that Ahikam Halleli, the security coordinator for that area, who was responsible for initiating and implementing the incident, got off with a mere rebuke by the Israel Defense Forces commander in Hebron, Major-General Avi Bluth.

On August 18, several settler youths from the outposts Mitzpe Yair and Avigail built a roadblock on the dirt road leading to four Palestinian villages – Jinba, Bir el-Eid, Markaz and Hallawa – all located in Firing Zone 918.

Human rights organizations summoned the army, who arrived to the area, spoke with the youth and cleared the rocks. Upon leaving, the settler youth once again blocked the road until nighttime. Israeli soldiers and police returned and once again re-opened the road. Palestinian residents also complained of a stench coming from a water cistern nearby, likely due to an dead animal left there by the youth.

Residents of Avigail say that Halleli did it to avenge the theft of a car from the Mitzpe Yair outpost a few days earlier.

“He emailed all the residents,” a settler living in the area said, “writing that there were several car thefts committed recently, including the day before. Residents were requested to arrive the next day at 6:30 in the morning to help block the road. Ahikam qualified the activity as ‘important.'”

Local settlement councils employ security coordinators, paying their salaries. The army is responsible for vetting each one, and is also his exclusive acting supervisor. Settlement security coordinators are subject to military disciplinary law and IDF investigations and army commanders sign off on maps delineating the territories within which they can act.

In this case, Halleli was operating outside his authorized territory, in addition to committing a criminal offense.

Following Haaretz’s request for a response, Major-General Bluth summoned Halleli for an investigation. Halleli admitted he initiated the roadblock, but Bluth decided to make due with a reproach and keep him in his position.

Halleli has in the past been involved in transferring material for illegal settlement construction. In that case as well, as a result of a Haaretz inquiry, he was called in for an investigation and merely rebuked. He claimed he did not know the materials were being used for illegal construction, and promised it would not happen again.

Halleli refused to comment on this case. The IDF Spokesperson said in a response that a thorough investigation was conducted following the incident, including a conversation between the army commander and the said security coordinator.

“During the conversation it was made clear beyond any doubt that this behavior is not in line with the IDF’s values, and constitutes an impaired decision, as a result of which proper procedure was restated. This was an isolated incident that does not reflect general behavior, as the IDF consistently examines its civilian security officials.”

The press release about the incident occurred on August 18: http://snipurl.com/27ystqj

Video of the incident: http://snipurl.com/27nvjb3

On September 22, after having asked to the Israeli singer to cancel the performance without success, the South Hebron Hills Popular Committee, Ta’ayush and Israeli activists organized a protest against Ehud Banai concert in Suseya settlement. For more information clic here.

Pictures of the event: http://snipurl.com/27ve8fa

On September 22, three masked settlers from Havat Ma’on outpost (Hill 833) chased away internationals and then damaged two olive trees in Humra valley.

Twenty-two are the Palestinian olive trees destroyed and damaged in Humra valley since August 2013.

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Il 22 settembre tre coloni mascherati dall’avamposto di Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), hanno prima inseguito alcuni internazionali e poi hanno danneggiato due alberi di ulivo nella valle di Humra.

Sono 22 gli ulivi palestinesi distrutti e danneggiati in questa valle da agosto 2013.

Il cantante israeliano Ehud Banai domani si esibirà nella colonia di Suseya, nelle colline a sud di Hebron. Questa è una lettera di un abitante del villaggio palestinese di Susiya, più volte evacuato e che subisce le violenze da parte dei coloni del vicino insediamento omonimo.

By +972, September 21, 2013

Several weeks ago a number of Israeli left-wing individuals and organizations launched a campaign to pressure Israeli singer Ehud Banai not to perform in the south Hebron Hills settlement of Susya.

Alongside the campaign, Israeli organizations Rabbis for Human Rights, Breaking the Silence and Ta’ayush offered to take Banai on a tour of the area, including Palestinian Susya, a village that was forcibly evicted in order to make room for the Jewish settlement of the same name. Banai turned down the offer, saying he didn’t have time but said he would do so after the concert.

Mr. Banai eventually canceled his show in the settlement of Susya, citing anger and vitriol directed toward him by the settler community following a Facebook post asserting that he opposes the occupation.

On September, 18, however, he posted yet another Facebook post (both have since been deleted) announcing that he will perform in Susya as planned on September 22.

The following is an open letter to the Israeli singer by Nasser Nawajaah, a resident of Palestinian Susya. (Translated by Talia Beth Krevsky)