This Saturday once again, international and Israeli activists joined farmers from the Saffa area of Beit Ommar on their land near the settlement of Bat Ayn. For the last two months, farmers have been forced to use Israeli and international accompaniment as they pick grape leaves and tend to their land in order to prevent attack from right-wing extremist settlers. The Israeli military has made it even more difficult by constantly ordering the entire area a closed military zone; an act that is supposed to be used temporarily but … Continue reading

On Saturday, May 30, Palestinian farmers from the Soleiby family were joined by activists from Palestine Solidarity Project, Anarchists Against the Wall, and Ta’ayush to work land near the Bat ‘Ain settlement, in Gush Etzion. Activists have been accompanying farmers in the area recently since an attack on the settlement on April 2 led to settler riots and attacks on farmers. At 7 am, a group of 11 activists and 2 farmers went to land owned by 72 year-old Hamad Soleiby and began picking grape leaves. Israeli settlers began gathering at the top of a hill on the edge of the illegal settlement and three Israeli military jeeps … Continue reading

For three days in a row settlers from the right-wing extremist settlement Bet Ayn have entered the land of Khirbet Saffa, an area of Beit Ommar Municipality, shooting at Palestinian homes and damaging agricultural land. On Friday, May 1, approximately 20 settlers set fire to fruit trees belonging to residents of Saffa. Israeli soldiers arrived and chased the settlers away, but then prevented residents from accessing the land to put out the fire, which continued for hours. Soldiers used tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets on Palestinians who gathered in the area to defend the land.
On Saturday, May 2, at approximately 10:30am, settlers again entered privately-owned Palestinian land. They left shortly after, but later … Continue reading

On Tuesday, April 28th, Palestinian farmers from the village of Beit Ommar worked their lands close to the illegal Israeli settlement of Beit Ayn. The farmers, accompanied by international and Israeli solidarity activists, went to their fields just two days after settlers from Beit Ayn used stones and sticks to attack two elderly farmers on their lands. One 80-year-old farmer was hospitalized after the attack, requiring ten stitches to treat two hair-line fractures on the top of his head.

On the morning of the 28th, two carloads of Israeli activists coming to join the farmers were prevented from entering the village by Israeli forces. The activists were later able to enter the village from another way. Once … Continue reading

On April 26th, 2009 at 1:15pm, Israeli settlers beat two elderly Palestinian farmers with stones and sticks while they were working their lands close to Bet Ayn settlement, located in the southern West Bank. The attack occurred shortly after Israeli soldiers, having observed the two farmers, left the area. They did not reappear even after the attack.

Both farmers are from the village of Beit Ommar, with lands in Saffa, close to the illegal Israeli settlement. Abdullah Soleiby, aged 80, sustained two hair-line fractures and received ten stitches to the top of his head after three settlers held him down and repeatedly smashed his head with stones. His brother, Hamad Soleiby, aged 72, was also beaten though … Continue reading

Saffa, a village sandwiched between Sourif and Beit Ommar and home to just over 2000 residents, has been the site of overwhelming Israeli military and now settler violence in the last week. Using the death of a teenaged settler on April 2 as a precursor (there has been no evidence that he was killed by someone from Saffa or the nearby villages) the Israeli military has been invading Saffa, declaring curfews, searching homes and otherwise harassing the residents of the entire village in acts of blatant collective punishment for several days. Roadblocks were erected in several different places on April 3 and three homes were taken over by Israeli … Continue reading

This week’s Friday demonstration in Al-Ma’asara was dedicated in solidarity with the residents of Hebron, who were in the midst of a violent Israeli settler pogrom. Residents of Al-Ma’asara were joined by Israeli activists from Anarchists Against the Wall and members of Palestine Solidarity Project as they marched towards a group of Israeli soldiers who had once again set up a razor-wire fence across the road, preventing the march from approaching Palestinian land which is being confiscated for the construction of the Annexation Barrier. Children of local farmers began pulling on the razor wire, in defiance of the intimidating soldiers who repeatedly pointed their guns at them, and … Continue reading

On Thursday, December 4, the Israeli police, supported by the Israeli military, carried out the largest evacuation of illegal settlers in Hebron city in recent times. Up to 250 settlers, most bussed in from outside, had reinforced a building in central Hebron which had been taken over 2 years ago, but which the Israeli High Court had ordered evacuated weeks ago. They were dragged out of the so-called “House of Contention”, with approximately 20 arrested.
Settlers then rioted throughout Hebron, attacking Palestinians, setting Palestinian homes, shops and cars on fire, and in one incident caught on tape through the Btselem camera distribution project, shot 40 year-old Hosni … Continue reading

Soldiers operating in village of Asira al-Kabaliya, which was attacked by settlers Saturday, find group of left-wing activists in one of houses. ‘It was our duty to arrive and express our solidarity with the residents,’ explains activist Yonatan Polak

By Ali Waked

An IDF force which raided the West Bank village of Asira al-Kabaliya near the settlement of Yitzhar on Saturday night, apparently as part of an operation for the arrest of wanted Palestinians, was surprised to discover a group of left-wing activists in one of the houses.

The activists arrived in the area following the riots which broke out in the village Saturday after a Palestinian stabbed a nine-year-old Jewish child and settlers flocked to … Continue reading

Chrisitian Peacemaker Teams, At-Tuwani:

On Wednesday July 30, settlers attacked fourteen Palestinian children between the ages six to twelve on their way from summer camp to their homes in the villages of Tuba and Magher Al-abeed. Five settlers hid themselves along the route of the children and waited for them. When the children approached the settlers began yelling, swearing, and throwing rocks at them. One settler jumped over the settlement fence and chased the children on a path leading to the village of Tuba. The Israeli soldiers assigned to protect the children (Jeep 611019) abandoned the children approximately 500 meters earlier, thereby failing to complete the escort of the children as ordered by the Israeli Knesset.

According … Continue reading