By Yossi Gurvitz, for Yesh Din (+972 Magazine)

Through the use of civilian security coordinators in settlements and outposts, the IDF has, essentially, privatized law enforcement in the West Bank. A further aspect of this symbiotic relationship is the army’s use of the coordinators to promote de facto recognition of unauthorized settler outposts.

Our first post about our report “The Lawless Zone” focused on the unclear relationship through which Israel effectively privatizes powers in the field of defense, law enforcement and policing, and transfers these to Israeli settlers. The security coordinators are residents of West Bank settlements who receive quasi-military powers. Although they are not formally empowered to issue commands to soldiers, in practice they do so, and in many cases they exploit their powers in order to expand their settlements’ territory.

This is the main problem created by the institution of the security coordinators, and accordingly our key recommendation is that the army should reassume these powers and appoint security coordinators who are officers in the permanent army and are accountable solely to the army and not to the settlements. There is another problem, however, one that highlights the symbiotic relationship between the army and the settlers.

In the mid-1990s, the Israeli government decided not to establish new settlements unless they were approved by the entire government. Since then the phenomenon of the “outposts” has developed. An outpost is the result of the seizure of land that is ostensibly private and unauthorized, but enjoys the de facto support of the authorities, including generous support from government sources. This tool is used by settlers to seize Palestinian or public land. This process was described in extensive detail both in a report prepared by Attorney Talia Sasson and in the Yesh Din report “The Road to Dispossession.” In recent years the emphasis has been on expanding and approving existing outposts, rather than on establishing new ones.

None of this could have happened without extensive assistance from the army. In one instance, the outpost of Netzach Binyamin was torched by Palestinians. The army did not provide protection and so the Israeli civilians fled. In a case involving the land seizure orders in Dura al-Qara, the army concealed the existence of the orders from the Palestinian residents to prevent them appealing, exposing a long-standing pattern of collaboration between the army and the settlers. Our latest report has identified a new dimension to this collaboration.

In 2009 the district brigades redefined the guarding areas for which the security coordinators are responsible. The changes were made after many years in which the coordinators effectively worked without any geographical restriction, since the guard order defining their operations did not specify the boundaries of the settlements. Following a petition submitted by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the army took no less than four years to prepare the amendment.

The amendment led to two changes. Firstly, the guarding area of the settlement was defined not according to its municipal boundaries, but according to the defense perception of the brigade commander. More importantly, for the first time the orders defined guarding areas for illegal outposts: 48 such outposts were allocated independent guarding areas, while 35 more were included in the guarding area of their parent settlement.

This provision constitutes the de facto approval of the outposts by the IDF – and this in an administrative process that was supposed to restrict the security coordinators’ operations.

This process happened quietly, without a government decision, without public discussion and without updating the courts, which are still hearing the issue. An ostensibly technical military order bypassed all these stages, granting official recognition to a criminal offense.

This post is presented as a public service, in case you still believe in the fairytale about the wild settler and the army that does not pick and choose its operations. The army very much picks and chooses its operations; it has always done so.

Written by Yossi Gurvitz in his capacity as a blogger for Yesh Din, Volunteers for Human Rights. A version of this post was first published on Yesh Din’s blog.

Read the full Yesh Din report here.

(Italian follows)

September 22, 2013

Tuwani – On September 20, the South Hebron Hills Popular Committee (SHHPC) have organized a nonviolent action to claim the Palestinians right to access to the land and to denounce the illegal settlers expansion, near the Palestinian village of Susiya.

One week ago the Israeli settlers illegally built a tent (about 20 s.m.) on Palestinian land, situated between the Palestinian village of Susiya and the Israeli Suseya settlement, where the settlers used to gather every afternoon. Beside this tent there is a well owned by a Palestinian from Susiya in which the settlers used to swim. This violations prevented the Palestinian shepherds and villagers to use the well and to graze in the valley close to the place.

On Saturday morning, at 10 a.m. several Palestinian men, women and children, with the solidarity of Israeli activists went to the tent and dismantled it. Subsequently they collected the garbage around the well and they took water from it as a demonstrative action.
Suddenly around ten settlers came out from Suseya and some of them crossed an area in which the access is forbidden to Israelis and raged against the nonviolent activists.
In the meanwhile Israeli Forces arrived and the Palestinians denounced the settlers violations. At 10:45 the Israeli army and Border Police declared the area a “close military zone” for one day, in order to push away the Palestinians and the Israeli activists. Yet the settlers remained inside the temporary close military area with the Police and army.

The nonviolent action aimed to prevent the settlement illegal territorial expansion and to stop the ongoing appropriation of Palestinian land from the settlers present in the South Hebron Hills are.

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

Pictures of the action: http://goo.gl/21d7bw

[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.]

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I Palestinesi resistono all’espansione delle colonie, colline a sud di Hebron

22 settembre 2014

At Tuwani – Il 20 settembre, il Comitato Popolare delle colline a sud di Hebron ha organizzato un’azione nonviolenta per affermare il diritto dei Palestinesi di accesso alla terra e per denunciare l’illegale espansione dei coloni, vicino al villaggio palestinese di Susiya.

Una settimana prima i coloni Israeliani hanno illegalmente costruito una tenda (di circa 20 mq) su terra di proprietà palestinese, situata tra il villaggio Palestinese di Susiya e l’insediamento Israeliano di Suseya, dove i coloni usano riunirsi tutti i pomeriggi. A fianco alla tenda c’è un posso di proprietà di un palestinese di Susiya, nel quale i coloni fanno il bagno. Queste violazioni impediscono ai pastori e gli abitanti palestinesi di usare il pozzo e di pascolare nella valle vicina.

Il sabato mattina alle 10:00 molti palestinesi (uomini, donne e bambini) con la solidarietà degli attivisti israeliani sono andati alla tenda e l’hanno smantellata. Successivamente hanno raccolto i rifiuti intorno al pozzo e, come azione dimostrativa, hanno utilizzato l’acqua.
Improvvisamente circa dieci coloni sono venuti dall’insediamento di Suseya e alcuni di loro hanno attraversato un’area in cui l’accesso è vietato agli israeliani e si sono infuriati contro gli attivisti nonviolenti.
Nel frattempo sono arrivate le forze armate israeliane e i palestinesi hanno denunciato le violazioni dei coloni. Alle 10:45 l’esercito israeliano e la polizia hanno dichiarato la zona un area militare chiusa per un giorno, al fine di scacciare i palestinesi e gli attivisti israeliani. Eppure i coloni sono rimasti dentro la temporanea area militare chiusa con la polizia e l’esercito.

L’azione nonviolenta ha lo scopo di impedire l’illegale espansione territoriale della colonia e di fermare la continua appropriazione di terra palestinesi da parte dei coloni israeliani nelle colline a sud di Hebron.

Operazione Colomba mantiene una presenza costante nel villaggio di At-Tuwani e nell’area delle colline a sud di Hebron dal 2004.

Foto dell’azione: http://goo.gl/21d7bw

[Note: secondo la IV Convenzione di Ginevra, la II Convenzione dell’Aja, la Corte Internazionale di Giustizia e numerose risoluzioni ONU, tutti gli insediamenti israeliani nei Territori Palestinesi Occupati sono illegali. Gli avamposti sono considerati illegali anche secondo la legge israeliana.]

The Israeli occupation continues to “normalize” the violation of the Palestinian human rights

At Tuwani – Operation Dove, Nonviolent Peace Corps of the Pope John XXIII Community-Association, maintains a constant presence in the South Hebron hills, Palestinian Occupied Territory, continuing from 10 years to accompany and support the Palestinians of the area in their struggle choice by nonviolent methods in order to protect their lives and their rights.

“On the seventh day since the beginning of the Israeli state ‘Protective Edge’ military operation against the Gaza Strip (which has already killed at least 180 people and injured more than 1200), the situation here is alarming,” says a volunteer. “Although no serious things happened during the past 7 days, the local population is very apprehensive and scared. It is expected that in parallel with the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army and settlers could begin a new massive violence phase in the area. A lot of shepherds, that we usually accompany by non-armed escort during their everyday activities, now they stay in their houses and don’t approach work areas close to Israeli settlements or outposts, because scared of attacks that could attempt on their safety. ”

Operation Dove strongly condemns this further outbreak of violence: in addition to the massacre and the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, the Israeli military operation that followed the kidnapping and murder of three young Israelis, in the West Bank has led to at least 10 people killed including children, and 150 injured during the raids. More than 500 people have been kidnapped and imprisoned, many of them subjected to “administrative detention”, so without charge. More than two thousand properties were raided, damaged or looted. Towns, villages and refugee camps have been put under siege by checkpoints and roadblocks.

Operation Dove strongly condemns the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories  that dehumanizes the occupier and the occupied. This dehumanization, institutionalized, sought and wanted by the occupying state, makes possible the murder of three young Israelis by two Palestinians, as it seems, or the barbaric murder of a 16 year old Palestinian from East Jerusalem, burned alive by Israeli extremists. This occupation “normalizes” the continued human rights violations of the Palestinian people.

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

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.]

15 luglio 2014

At Tuwani – Operazione Colomba, Corpo Nonviolento di Pace della Associazione Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII, mantiene una presenza costante nelle colline a sud di Hebron, Territori Palestinesi Occupati, continuando ad accompagnare e supportare da ormai dieci anni i palestinesi della zona nella loro scelta di lottare con metodi nonviolenti per la tutela della propria vita e dei propri diritti.

“Al settimo giorno dall’inizio dell’operazione “Protective Edge” dello Stato israeliano contro la Striscia di Gaza (che ha già ucciso almeno 180 persone e ferite più di 1200), la situazione qui è preoccupante” racconta un volontario. “Nonostante non siano successi fatti gravi negli ultimi 7 giorni, la popolazione locale è molto in apprensione e spaventata. Si aspetta che parallelamente ai bombardamenti israeliani sulla striscia di Gaza, militari e coloni israeliani possano dare inizio a una nuova fase di violenza massiccia nell’area. Molti pastori che ogni giorno scortiamo in maniera non armata nelle attività quotidiane stanno in casa e non si avvicinano alle zone di lavoro adiacenti alle colonie e agli avamposti israeliani per paura di attacchi che possano attentare alla loro incolumità”.

Operazione Colomba guarda con sgomento e condanna  questa ulteriore esplosione di violenza: oltre al massacro e al disastro umanitario a Gaza, l’operazione militare israeliana seguita al sequestro e all’uccisione di tre giovani israeliani, in Cisgiordania ha portato ad almeno 10 persone uccise, tra cui bambini, e 150 ferite durante le incursioni. Più di 500 persone sono state sequestrate ed incarcerate, di cui una buona parte sottoposte a “detenzione amministrativa”, cioè senza un’accusa. Più di duemila proprietà sono state perquisite, danneggiate o saccheggiate. Città, villaggi e campi profughi sono stati messi sotto assedio da checkpoint e roadblock.

Operazione Colomba condanna l’ occupazione israeliana dei Territori Palestinesi  che disumanizza l’occupante e l’occupato. E’ questa disumanizzazione, istituzionalizzata, cercata e voluta dallo stato occupante, che  rende possibili l’assassinio di tre giovani israeliani ad opera di due palestinesi, come pare, o il barbaro assassinio di un 16enne palestinese di Gerusalemme est, bruciato vivo da estremisti israeliani. E’ questa occupazione che “normalizza” la continua violazione dei diritti umani del popolo palestinese.

Operazione Colomba mantiene una presenza costante nel villaggio di At-Tuwani e nell’area delle colline a sud di Hebron dal 2004.

Per informazioni:
Operazione Colomba, +972 54 99 25 773

[Note: secondo la IV Convenzione di Ginevra, la II Convenzione dell’Aja, la Corte Internazionale di Giustizia e numerose risoluzioni ONU, tutti gli insediamenti israeliani nei Territori Palestinesi Occupati sono illegali. Gli avamposti sono considerati illegali anche secondo la legge israeliana.]

Every saturday, since one year and a half, Palestinians together with Israeli activists organise nonviolent actions to claim the right to return to their land in the South Hebron Hills, on which settlers from the Israeli illegal outpost of Mitzpe Yair have built greenhouses. The land is situated between the Palestinian village of Shi’b Al Butum and the Israeli illegal outpost of Mitzpe Yair.

This land is called Umm Al Arayes and it’s a Palestinian private propriety.  Demolition orders have been issued against the greenhouses by the Israeli District Coordination Office. The Israeli army declaration of lands as closed military zone impedes the Palestinians from accessing their land. Since 2001 the Palestinians in the area have faced restricted access to these lands.

Palestinians from the South Hebron Hills keep facing the Israeli occupation through the popular nonviolent resistance.

For more information about the area you can see also: http://tuwaniresiste.operazionecolomba.it/?s=Umm+Al+Arayes

2014-05-10: Isareli army and Border police preventing Palestinina from accessing their private land in Umm Al Arayes

Palestinesi continuano a lottare per la terra a Umm Al Arayes

Ogni sabato, da un anno e mezzo, palestinesi insieme ad attivisti israeliani organizzano azioni nonviolente per reclamare il diritto di accesso alla propria terra nelle colline a sud di Hebron, dove i coloni dell’avamposto illegale israeliano di Mitzpe Yair hanno costruito delle serre. La terra in questione si trova tra il villaggio palestinese di Shi’b Al Butum e l’avamposto illegale israeliano di Mitzpe Yair.

Questa terra è chiamata Umm Al Arayes ed proprietà privata palestinese. Contro le serre sono stati consegnati ordini di demolizione dal Ufficio di Coordinamento Distrettuale dell’Amministrazione Civile Israeliana (DCO). Ai palestinesi è impedito l’accesso alla propria terra in quanto dichiarata dall’esercito israeliano “zona militare chiusa”.

I palestinesi delle colline a sud di Hebron continuano ad affrontare l’occupazione israeliana tramite la resistenza popolare nonviolenta.

Per maggiori informazioni riguaradanti l’area potete vedere anche: http://tuwaniresiste.operazionecolomba.it/?s=Umm+Al+Arayes

Settlers from Israeli illegal outposts damaged Palestinian’s solar panels and cultivated lands

March 28, 2014

At Tuwani – In the evening of March 26, Israeli settlers damaged some solar panels, only electricity power sources for the Palestinian village Bir Al Idd. The same day, during the early afternoon, Israeli settlers grazed their flock on Palestinian-owned wheat fields, damaging the harvest.

At 2.18 pm International volunteers noticed a flock grazing on Palestinian-owned fields in  Kharrouba valley, close to the south-west side of the Israeli illegal outpost Havat Ma’on, in the South Hebron hills. The flock was apparently unattended, until when, after ten minutes, an Israeli settler from the outpost got close the herd and walked away with it. Later, the Palestinian owners reported the facts to the Israeli police. At 3.02 pm the police arrived at the place and questioned Palestinians and International volunteers, taking from them pictures of the Israeli settler while he was grazing the flock. After that, the police officers went inside the outpost.

Around 6 pm, Israeli settlers damaged photovoltaic system that supplies power to the Palestinian village of Bir Al Idd (South Hebron hills area), hitting it repeatedly. Near the village are located the Israeli illegal outposts of Mitzpe Yair and Nof Nesher. The morning after, Comet-Me members, who placed the system during the 2010 (Comet-Me is an Israeli-Palestinian no-profit organization specialized in providing sustainable energy sources and drinking water systems to isolated communities) arrived on the place in order to verify the damages. At 9:59 am an Israeli policeman and a soldier reached them in order to carry out surveys and listen the testimony of a Palestinian. Later, the complaint of the Palestinian was formalized.

During the late 90s , the Palestinian families of Bir Al Idd were forced to leave the area because of the continuos violence of Israeli settlers. After a Rabbis for Human Rights’ appeal submitted to the Israeli High Court of Justice, on January 2009 the Bir Al Idd residents’ return was allowed.
Now only one household of the 50 residents lives permanently in the village; the others were forced to leave because of several violences that took place since April 2013. In April, August and November 2013, Israeli settlers from Mitzpe Yair attempted to block the only access road to the village. On January 2014, two Israeli settlers prevented Palestinian residents from reaching the village, threatening them.

On March 22 Israeli police arrested Zaaid Salame Mehamre, a shepherd from the Palestinian village of Maghayr Al-Abeed, while he was grazing his sheep on Jabel Doff (the location where the Havat Ma’on outpost used to stand before the year 2000, when it was moved to Hill 833). The arrest was carried out under the accusation of “trespassing”, although no official documents on the ownership of the land were presented.

In the morning, Mehamre was grazing his sheep in the Palestinian valleys and hills surrounding the Israeli illegal outpost of Havat Ma’on. At 1:30 p.m., Mehamre moved to the top of the hill to follow his flock, and was followed by a police car, which later drove past him. 15 minutes later an Israeli policeman declared Mehamre under arrest and escorted him to an area where there was another police car, a District Coordination Office car and three army jeeps, together with four Israeli settlers.

Ta’ayush activists, who were already present in the area accompanying other shepherds, immediately arrived and tried to understand the situation. The activists asked the Israeli officers for clarification on the ownership of the land, which they had declared Israeli, however no maps or official documents were presented.

At 2:20 p.m. Israeli soldiers violently chased away Mehamre’s flock, which remained unattended. The soldiers pushed the flock toward the valley south of the hill.

At 2:30 p.m., Mehamre was taken by police to the Kyriat Arba police station. He was released in the later afternoon after a bail of 500 shekels was paid by Ta’ayush and the South Hebron Hills Popular Committee.

Pastore palestinese arrestato dalla polizia israeliana nelle colline a sud di Hebron

Il 22 marzo la polizia israeliana ha arrestato Zaaid Salame Mehamre, un pastore proveniente dal villaggio di Maghayr Al-Abeed, mentre stava pascolando il suo gregge su Jabel Doff (la collina su cui sorgeva l’avamposto di Havat Ma’on prima del 2000, quando è stato spostato sulla Hill 833). L’accusa era quella di “sconfinamento”, anche se non è stato esibito nessun documento ufficiale riguardo l’appartenenza di quel terreno.

La mattina Mehamre stava pascolando il suo gregge nelle valli e sulle colline palestinesi che circondano l’avamposto illegale israeliano di Havat Ma’on. Alle 13:30, Mehamre si è spostato sulla cima della collina per seguire il suo gregge ed è stato inseguito da una macchina della polizia, che lo ha poi preceduto. 15 minuti dopo un poliziotto israeliano ha dichiarato Mehamre in stato di arresto e lo ha portato poco più in là sulla collina, dove c’erano già un’altra macchina della polizia, una macchina dell’Ufficio di Coordinamento Distrettuale e tre camionette dell’esercito, insieme a quattro coloni israeliani.

Attivisti Ta’ayush (un movimento nonviolento di base arabo e israeliano), che erano già presenti nell’area per accompaganare altri pastori, sono immediatamente giunti sul posto e hanno provato a comprendere meglio la situazione. Gli attivisti hanno chiesto agli ufficiali israeliani chiarificazioni riguardo all’appartenenza della terra, che questi avevano dichiarato israeliana, ma non gli è stata mostrata alcuna mappa o documento ufficiale.

Alle 14:30 soldati israeliani hanno cacciato il gregge di Mehamra, che era rimasto incustodito. I soldati hanno spinto le pecore verso la valle a sud della collina.

Alle 14:30, Mehamre è stato portato alla stazione di polizia di Kyriat Arba. E’ stato poi rilasciato nel tardo pomeriggio dietro pagamento di una cauzione di 500 shekel, pagata dai Ta’ayush e dal Comitato Popolare delle Colline a sud di Hebron.

March 17, 2014

At-Tuwani – On Sunday March 16, during the Jewish holiday of Purim, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and Internationals on Palestinian fields near Mitzpe Yair illegal outpost.

In the morning, four Palestinian shepherds from the village of Qawawis were grazing their flocks south of the Israeli outpost of Mitzpe Yair, when a settler arrived armed with an iron pipe to threaten them shouting. At 9:18 am two Internationals arrived together with two further Palestinian shepherds. The armed Israeli settler then left when he saw that they were filming the scene.

At 9:28 am eight settlers arrived from the illegal outpost – one was still armed with the iron pipe – and four of them violently chased away the flocks, pushing them toward the valley underlying the outpost. Palestinian shepherds followed the settlers in order not to lose their flocks accompanied by Internationals. The Palestinians immediately called the Israeli police.

At 9:48 am the settlers came back to the outpost. In the meantime, an additional Internationals and two Palestinian members of the South Hebron Hills Popular Committee arrived at the scene. At 10:00 am one of the settlers tried to chase away one of the newly-arrived Palestinians, a member of the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem. As this happened, an Israeli policeman and three Israeli soldiers arrived by foot. At 10:20 am, as the policeman began interrogating the attendants, a further three settlers arrived. Those interrogated were the Palestinian shepherd Nail Abuaram (who filmed everything with a B’Tselem camera) and one International.

At 10:45 am, the policeman lead Abuaram and one of the Internationals to Kiryat Arba police station to give testimony of the harassments. They arrived at the station at noon.

The International was asked for the camera footage of the incident, interrogated and finally released at around 2:50 pm. Abuaram was interrogated alone for a couple of hours and was threaten of arrest until he accepted to sign a paper stating that he will not get closer than 450 meters to the area where the harassment took place for a period of 15 days. He was later released around 6:00 pm after signing the paper. The Israeli police forced the settler who attacked the Palestinians with an iron pipe to stay 200 meters far from the spot where the harassment took place for a period of 15 days.

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

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

Video of the incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkhd_oJ2jkk&list=UUpKXxYTHG80BLPckf_YMHtw

[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.]

On March 11 the Israeli police detained two Beduins from the village of Umm Al Kheer, two International volunteers and two Israeli activists. Since the early morning two Israeli engineers were taking mesures with technical equipment around the southern part of Karmel Israeli settlemet, around the latest expansion.  There is an ongoing trial about the ownership of the land between the settlement and the Beduin village, because of this is forbidden to anyone to do any kind of work on this land.

When the Beduins approached the area a military vehicle with five Israeli soldiers arrived to escort the engineers. Around 1:30 pm three Israeli settlers arrived, between them the security chief of Karmel, and at 2 pm the Israeli police reached the place. The Israeli soldiers and police showed to Beduins and Internationals maps where the municipal area of the settlemet expands also on the Palestinian owned land. When Beduins and Internationals refused to move back toward the Beduin village a Police officer escorted them on the Israeli street surrounding the settlemet. In the mean time two Israeli activists had arrived.

The Israeli Police realeased the six, giving them back IDs and Passports at 3:50 pm. The charge for the detention was “trespassing”.

_

L’11 marzo la polizia israeliana ha detenuto due beduini del villaggio di Umm Al Kheer, due volontari internazionali e due attivisti israeliani. Fin dal mattino due ingenieri israeliani stavano prendendo delle misure intorno alla parte sud della colonia israeliana di Karmel, attorno alle ultime espansioni. Vi è un processo in corso riguardo l’appartenenza della terra tra la colonia e il villaggio beduino, per questo motivo è proibito a chiunque effettuare lavori e operazioni sulla suddetta terra.

Quando i beduini si sono avvicinati all’area è arrivata una jeep militare con cinque soldati per scortare i due ingegnieri. Intorno alle 13:30 sono arrivati tre coloni israeliani, tra cui il capo della sicurezza della colonia, e alle 14 è sopraggiunta la polizia israeliana. I soldati e la polizia hanno mostrato ai beduini e ai volontari internazionali alcune mappe, secondo le quali l’area municipale della colonia comprende anche terre di proprietà palestinese. Quando beduini e internazionali si sono rifiutati di tornare verso il villaggio, i polizziotti israeliani li hanno scortati sulla strada israeliana che circonda la colonia. Nel frattempo sono arrivati due attivisti israeliani.

La polizia rilascia le sei persone alle 15:50, ridandogli documenti e passaporti. L’accusa per la detenzione era “sconfinamento”.

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.]

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.