Israeli settlers, protected by army, terrorize Palestinians
Audio 02:30
A man addresses Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by Israeli settlers near Hebron in June 2021. © REUTERS / Mussa Issa Qawasma
By: Sami Boukhelifa Follow
6 mins
The Israeli NGO Breaking The Silence publishes this July 21 damning testimonies on the violence of the Jewish settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Since its creation in 2004, this organization has been hearing the words of former Israeli soldiers, who break the law of silence to denounce the occupation.
In the hills south of the city of Hebron, where settlements continue to expand, army-protected settlers steal Palestinian land with impunity and cause terror to reign.
Publicity
From our special envoy to Atwani,
Leading his herd to his own pasture is a real challenge for Sami, a 23-year-old Palestinian boy. “
As a shepherd, we are attacked almost every day by the settlers. Of course, these attacks are happening in front of the Israeli soldiers, but they are there only to protect the settlers. When the settlers burn down our houses, cut down our trees, the army does not intervene. The objective of the occupation is to get us out of here, and to annex our lands,
”explains Sami.
Since the early 1980s, Atwani, the village of Sami, has lost nearly 40% of its land, according to its residents.
“
You see this land, it is the private property of my family, the Herini family.
In that wood over there is the settlement of Havat Maon, and on the hill it is the main settlement of Maon that was built on our lands in 1983. At the time, Israel declared them as property. state, and then they were given to settlers.
They first settled at the top of the hill, and since then, every two to three years, they have spread over our land,
”he adds.
Total impunity for the settlers
The settlers, in the service of the Israeli expansion policy, enjoy total impunity.
In Atwani, Israelis, human rights activists, live with the Palestinians and regularly document the violence of the settlers.
Ori Givati, former soldier and member of Breaking The Silence, recounts the absurdity of the situation that Israel has created in these territories for decades.
“
The local children who come to school here in Atwani have been attacked by the settlers.
I'm talking about children who are in elementary school, who are five, six years old.
And in the face of the proliferation of these attacks, activists from all over the world have come here to escort these children to school.
In 2004, two of these activists were violently attacked by settlers, who seriously injured them,
”says Ori Givati.
Then to add: “
Following this, there were debates on this subject in the Israeli Parliament. And the Child Rights Protection Commission decided that every morning Palestinian children would be accompanied to school by Israeli soldiers. And since 2004 until today, every day an army Jeep drives alongside these children to the entrance to the school. All over the world, the solution would have been to stop the criminals. Imagine for a moment: you live in Tel Aviv and someone is assaulting you. Instead of arresting him, the police tell you: “
don't worry, we will walk next to you on the street until the end of your life
”…
”.
In these occupied Palestinian territories, Israel multiplies absurd laws.
With one goal: to make life impossible for the Palestinians, to push them to leave.
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