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The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil,    but because of the people who don't do anything about it

Occupation magazine - Settlements Home page  back Print  Send To friend It never ends: another week of settler assaults From Ta`ayush 2013 taayush2013@gmail.com This Week – August 30 – September 5, 2020 – in the Occupied Territories Another attempt by settlers to raise a new outpost near Birin (Hebron District) was thwarted; the Israeli army violently quenched a protest vigil by farmers of the Palestinian village of Shufa (Tul Karm District) against their land being taken over for the sake of paving an access road to the illegal outpost Avnei Hefetz, built on their land – an army officer was documented wildly beating a 60-year old Palestinian; settlers have been assaulting Palestinian shepherds from Deir Jarir in the West Bank hill range for some time now, and harassing their flocks – Israeli activists are needed for daily accompaniement there, as well as in Hamra and Auja in the Palesitnian Jordan Valley; a Palestinian woman, 9-months pregnant, was wounded by stones thrown by dozens of settlers at Palestinian vehicles on road 60; confiscation of equipment, damage and structure demolitions by Israeli army forces at Zif and Jinba in the South Hebron Hills, as well as near Taqu’a (Bethlehem District), Wadi Al Siq in the West Bank hill range, and in East Jerusalem neighborhoods; Palestinian Jordan Valley and West Bank Hill Range In Auja,k in the southern Palestinian Jordan Valley, activists accompanied Palestinian shepherds this week, Tuesday through Friday. In all cases there were no special incidents noted. On Wednesday, September 2, activists were alerted by a report of an attack against shepherds from Deir Jarir, near the Tayibe Junction in the West Bank Hill Range. When they arrived they managed to video the assaulting settler, and heard from the shepherds that he has been harassing them for some time now. He throws stones at the flock and physically attacks them. On the next days, Thursday and Friday, activists accompanied the flocks there, and in both cases their presence appeared to make the settlers stay with their own flocks away from the Palestinian shepherds. On the other hand, on Sunday, September 6, a settler directed his flock intentionally towards the Palestinians’ flocks - the activists prevented the flocks from mixing, and summoned the police. A policeman arrived but refused to intervene. On Wednesday the occupation forces demolished 2 dwellings and an agricultural structure at Wadi A Siq, in the West Bank Hill Range, where 9 structures have already been demolished last week. In the northern Palestinian Jordan Valley, activists accompanied shepherds at Hamra on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The local vandal preferred to stay away from the Palestinian shepherds. On Wednesday, however, he came accompanied by a known right-wing activist, who concentrated on harassing the activists, while the Hamra settler tried to chase away the Palestinian flock, which was on its way home already. Accompaniment of Palestinian shepherds to grazing grounds in the West Bank Hill range and the Auja area involves a great number of activists, and many more are needed during the next few weeks. To join, please contact Arik: 050-5607034 At nearby Samara, it was reported that last week settlers came to the Palestinian encampment and stole construction frames for raising tents. In this season the encampment is deserted, and last year too, it served as a favorite target for the vandal gangs of settlers in the nearby outposts. South Hebron Hills On Sunday, August 30, settlers once again attempted to found an outpost south-east of Hebron city, near Birin, from where they were evicted last week. About 30 settlers came there and erected structures and tents. The local Palestinians summoned the police, and at night forces came and evicted the outpost. On Wednesday, September 2, Israeli army forces tried to place armored jalopies on the lands of Palestinian Susya close to the inhabitants’ dwelling tents, for the sake of military maneuvers. Palestinian activists resisted and the jalopies were eventually moved to the area of the nearby military case, and served the soldiers for their maneuvers there. Later that day, soldiers from that base prevented Susya inhabitants from using the road leading to their district town of Yatta. That day, occupation forces also confiscated a gas station at Zif, and from there continued to Jinba, where they demolished two dwellings and a sheep pen, causing severe damages to the electrical system, as well as tearing up sacks of grain. On Saturday, September 5, it was reported again that Israeli army forces doing the bidding of the settlers at the new outpost in Umm Zaitouna chased away Palestinian shepherds grazing on privately-owned Palestinian land. To join Ta`ayush in The South Hebron Hills this Saturday call 055-2770168 Please make an effort to register no later than Thursday evening, so we can organize the transportation and the activity properly. Unfortunately, we will not be able to guarantee registration afterwards. Please bring an ID/passport, a hat, water and food for the day. It is advised to take into consideration cultural differences in the choice of clothing. Throughout the West Bank and in East Jerusalem On Tuesday, September 1, the occupation forces confiscated construction material close to Taqu’a in the Bethlehem District. In The northern occupied Palestinian territory on Tuesday, farmers from Shufa village (Tul Karm District) tried to hold a protest vigil against their farm lands being stolen for the sake of paving a road to the illegal outpost Avnei Hefetz (it too was built on the village’s land). Israeli army forces dispersed them by force, and an officer was recorded violently attacking a Palestinian in his sixties. Since August 17, the occupation forces have been pacing a road on lands confiscated from the villagers, including groves of olive and almond trees that were the livelihood of numerous families. Since then, the occupation forces have been preventing the villagers even from protesting this theft. It was also reported that on Thursday, September 3, in the evening, dozens of settlers vandals crowded on road 60 between A-Sawiya and Turmus Aia (Ramallah District) and threw stones at Palestinian vehicles. A Palestinian woman, 9-months pregnant- was wounded, and at least two Palestinian vehicles were damaged. On Saturday, it was reported that Israeli army forces blocked a farmers’ track serving villagers of Sinjil and Abuwein (Ramallah District) from accessing their farmlands. Last week settlers tried to erect a new outpost here, inside Area B. On the night between Saturday and Sunday, security cameras documented at least 8 settlers who arrived at Huwwara town (Nablus District), puncturing car tires and throwing stones at other vehicles. During the week there were several new Corona-virus cases in Hares village, and so the weekly protest demonstration there was not held on Friday. For joining protest in Hares, please contact Aviv – avivsky@gmail.com In Jerusalem, on Monday, the occupation forces demolished one dwelling building in Beit Hanina, and another in Jabal Mukabar. The weekly protest vigil in Sheikh Jarrah continues, carefully keeping the emergency (Corona) safety regulations. Local inhabitants protest the theft of their homes, the takeover by settlers of the neighborhood, and the Judaization of East Jerusalem, and call upon anyone supporting their struggle to join them. We will meet at the Sheikh Jarrah Garden, Nablus Road and Dahlmann St. at at 4 p.m Links to the latest articles in this section Two tiny Palestinian villages, supported by activists, hold on against brutal murderous settlers President Biden, open the US Consulate in East Jerusalem! A `Routine` Vote Could Be Trouble for Settlers – and Government