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Occupation magazine - Settlements Home page  back Print  Send To friend Settler hate crimes escalating beyond already high "routine", army helps erect settler outposts , destroys Palestinian homes and farm buildings This week – December 20-26, 2020 – in the Occupied Territories Email from taayush2013@gmail.com Serious escalation in crimes committed by settlers against Palestinians and their property throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem this week; a new outpost was set up under protection of the Israeli army on privately-owned Palestinian land of Deir Jarayer, close to the site where Ahuviya Sandak was killed – Palestinian locals and activists who came to protest were violently chased away by the Israeli army; protest demonstrators from Salfit against the new outpost close to their town were dispersed by teargas and stun grenades; house demolitions in the South Hebron Hills and in neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. Following the murder of Esther Horgan, inhabitant of the settlement ‘Tal Menashe’, and the death of Ahuviya Sandak who was suspected of throwing stones at Palestinian vehicles, and died during a police chase, settler hate crimes escalated this week even further from an already high ‘routine’ level. Except for stone-throwing near Tayibe Junction where the youth was killed during a police chase, on Monday a Palestinian shepherd from Ganoub, close to the settlements ‘Pnei Kedem’ and ‘Asfar’ was attacked by a group of settlers. He was wounded and taken for medical care. At the same time, dozens of settlers marched on the main road of Palestinian town Huwara (Nablus district) accompanied by soldiers, and cried hate calls. During the day, settlers blocked Zaatara-Tapuach junction and other roads close to settlement ‘Qedumim’, and punctured Palestinian vehicle tires near Hebron. A bus driver was attacked with teargas and stones by about 30 boys in ‘Bat Ayin’ and was taken to hospital. Another complaint was received from a 14- year old boy who was wounded in the head by stones thrown at a truck in which he sat next to the driver, close to the Beit Anoun junction, in the Hebron area. That day, 13 complaints were lodged with the Israeli police with regard to settler violence against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories. On Wednesday, December 23, settlers - accompanied by soldiers doing their bidding – erected an outpost near the spot where the youngster was killed, on privately-owned Palestinian land belonging to inhabitants of Deir Jarayer near Tayibe. Palestinian shepherds live there during grazing seasons, and the spot is close to the road connecting Deir Jarayer and Kafr Malek. On days prior to the outpost founding, two cases were registered of stone- throwing at Palestinian vehicles on this road. Local Palestinians and activists who arrived there to protest the robbery on Saturday were chased away violently by large army forces ‘protecting’ the settlers and their outpost. Further on Wednesday this week, inhabitants of Jaloud village (Nablus district) reported another night of terrorism wreaked by settlers coming from ‘Ahiya’ outpost in the Shilo valley. Dozens of them entered the village and threw stones at vehicles and home windows. In the Salfit area, on Tuesday December 22, inhabitants of Al Ras and activists carried out an olive tree planting action as part of the struggle against the new outpost settling there – west of the town of Salfit, several kilometers west of settler town Ariel and south of the Barkan Industrial Zone. Weekly protest demonstrations have been taking place there for over a month now. Settlers and soldiers chased the planters away from the spot with threats and violent action. On Friday, December 25, inhabitants of Salfit and the surrounding area held their weekly demonstration. They marched towards the outpost, and reached below it as several dozen soldiers blocked them with teargas and stun grenades. Border Policemen photographed the demonstrators and threatened some of them to come to their homes one of these coming nights. After half an hour the protestors dispersed.. Farmers from Hares village (Salfit district) whose vineyards are adjacent to settlement ‘Revava’ in the north continue to suffer harassments by settlers and soldiers, and this week too several trees were vandalized and soldiers came to threaten the farmers who were working their land. For joining activity in the Salfit area, please contact Aviv at avivsky@gmail.com South Hebron Hills On Monday, December 21, the occupation forces demolished a home in Simiya, and from there proceeded to a nearby farming project where they demolished another home, a large shed and a water reservoir. The next day, Tawane villagers discovered that about 30 olive tree saplings they had planted in Hali valley close to their village had been uprooted and stolen. Later that day, settlers from ‘Havat Maon’ outpost attempted to carry out earth works outside the outpost on lands belonging to Tawane villagers. A lawyer’s intervention caused the works to cease. On Thursday, December 24, a tour of settlers and an archeology inspector took place in the villages of Massafer Yatta inside firing zone 918. On Saturday, activists accompanied plowing work in lands belonging to Mughayer Al Abid, and planting at Rakiz. At Birin on Saturday night settlers tried to erect a new outpost, but it was dismantled when the army arrived there in the morning. 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. 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. Jerusalem Early this week the occupation forces demolished two homes in Silwan, one in Abu Dis, and one in Jabal Mukabar, as well as an additional structure at Ras Al Amud. Since Monday evening, settlers have been holding demonstrations opposite the State Headquarters of the Israeli Police in Jerusalem, protesting the killing of their friend during a police chase. During these demonstrations on several occasions demonstrators threw stones and smashed windows of vehicles after verifying that their passengers were Palestinians. During Saturday night’s demonstration extreme nationalist protesters attacked a car bearing four Arab passengers – two women, a man and a baby – and tried to open it. The demonstrators shouted “Death to Arabs!” and hit the car. On Friday, inhabitants of Batan Al Hawa in the Silwan neighborhood held a mass-prayer protesting the State’s intention to expel them from their homes and let the settlers have the houses. In Sheikh Jarrah, too, on Friday the regular protest vigil took place, by neighborhood inhabitants and Israeli activists who have been struggling for over a decade against evicting Palestinian families from their homes and having Jewish settlers populate the neighborhood aided by right-wing organizations, the State of Israel’s General Custodian for Absentee Property, and the Jerusalem courts’ sanctioning of apartheid. The weekly protest in Sheikh Jarrah takes place every Friday The residents of Sheikh Jarrah are protesting their violent evictions from their homes, the taking over of the neighborhood by the settler s, and the Judaization of East Jerusalem. They call upon each and every person who supports their struggle to join them. We will meet at the Sheikh Jarrah Garden, Nablus Road and Dahlmann St. at at 3 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