What: International day of solidarity with Yousef Ikhlayl

Background:

On January 28, 2011, Yousef Ikhlayl was murdered by an Israeli settler from Bat Ayn settlement while working in his family’s fields in the Saffa valley. Yousef was a regular participant in Beit Ommar’s non-violent demonstrations against the settlements, as well as Palestine Solidarity Project’s community programs.

One year later, THERE HAVE BEEN NO ARRESTS IN YOUSEF’S CASE. For months, the Israeli Attorney General hasn’t even assigned the case to a lawyer, preventing any further action on the case.

As Palestinian negotiators sit with Israeli war criminals to discuss re-opening peace negotiations–negotiations that will leave Bat Ayn in place (according to previously leaked negotiating positions)–THE POPULAR COMMITTEE OF BEIT OMMAR AND PALESTINE SOLIDARITY PROJECT CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH YOUSEF AND ALL VICTIMS OF ISRAELI OCCUPATION.

The weekly demonstration in Beit Ommar on January 28th will be honoring Yousef and other Beit Ommar Martyrs. STAND WITH BEIT OMMAR AND THE POPULAR RESISTANCE!

CALL FOR AN END FOR SETTLER AND ISRAELI IMPUNITY!

Organize your own event in solidarity with Yousef, and email us at palestineproject@gmail.com. We’ll keep track of events world-wide.

JUSTICE FOR YOUSEF!

This week PSP began its annual farmer accompaniment program. Around dawn, international activists joined Beit Ommar farmers in harvesting grapes on land close to the illegal settlement of Kfar Etzion. In a busy but sucessful morning, volunteers assisted the famrers in picking and packing over fifty crates of grapes, which will be sold through the local farmers’ market.

Such accompaniments are neccessary as Beit Ommar farmers face the constant threat of harassment and violence from setllers and the Israeli military. Settlers regularly attack famrers trying to work in fields close to the five illegal settlements which surround Beit Ommar, and the Israeli army – who often accompany the settlers in their attacks – regularly arrest farmers or force them from their fields. Only last week, settlers from Karmei Tsur destroyed two fields of grapes in Beit Ommar (report here).

In January of this year, local student Yousef Ikhlayl, 17, was murdered by settlers from nearby Bat Ayin as he harvested his family’s grapes (report here).

In addition to the constant threat of violence, farm lands in Beit Ommar are also constantly under threat of confiscation, as the nearby settlements look to expand through the theft of more Palestinian land (report here).

Settlers from Bat Ayin settlement have attempted to seize more land belonging to the village of Saffa.

This week, it was discovered that settlers had begun construction of a building foundation on the land of local farmer Thelgy Addy. Stones have been piled on top of one another forming what appears to be the bases of walls, and one of the stones was marked with a green symbol. Around the stones, the settlers had posted stakes at a distance of 500 meters.

When this construction was discovered, the stakes were pulled up in order to combat the theft of more land. Settlers will often begin taking over more land by constructing buildings as an outpost, then moving people in. These settlers enjoy the protection of the Israeli military.

Bat Ayin is a particularly aggressive settlement which has a history of violence towards Palestinians in the area. This past March, settlers invaded Beit Ommar, attacking residents and vandalizing homes. In January, members of the settlement shot two youths in the town of Saffa, killing 17 year old Yousef Ikhlayl. And this past November, settlers burned 85 olive and fig trees belonging to area Palestinian farmers.

Two young Palestinian men are in Israeli custody today after the military raided homes this morning in Beit Ommar and Saffa.

At around 2 in the morning, five Israeli military jeeps entered the town of Beit Ommar. Upon entering the town, they fired tear gas and concussion grenades, waking residents and startling them. The jeeps stopped at the home of Fers Abu Maria. Soliders invaded the house, waking the family and forcing everyone into the street. Yelling at the family and questioning them for half an hour, they finally arrested 16 year old Mahmoud Hathym Solieby. The soldiers then moved to Saffa, where they invaded another home and arrested 16 year old Mahmoud Hasan Addy.

At the time of this writing, both young men are still being held by the Israeli military, although their location is unknown. No reason was given for the arrests.

Beit Ommar and surrounding towns have seen many young men arrested by military raids this year. In March, fourteen youths between the ages of 14 and 19 were arrested when the military invaded the town. In February, a total of seventeen young men were arrested, including 13 boys after a demonstration against settlement expansion. And in January, a total of seven teenagers and children were arrested. Young Palestinians may be put on trial and imprisoned like adults, and if they are released they may be fined large amounts of money by the Israeli courts.

Members of the Popular Committee, PSP volunteers, and the mayor of Beit Ommar argued with the soldiers for some time, and the farmers continued to gather grape leaves. When the farmers finished their work, all parties left the area. The soldiers went back the way they came, and the villagers and their supporters returned unhindered to Beit Ommar.

The soldiers allowed the women of the group to continue home, but detained the men. Eight men had their identification cards taken, and were made to sit and wait for another group of soldiers to arrive. The new group of soldiers immediately arrested an international activist accompanying the farmers, and took the information of all others gathered there. They were held for another half hour before being released, with no further arrests. Only when were they were allowed to go were they shown the papers declaring the area a closed military zone. The international was released several hours later.

The farmers and volunteers quickly planted the forty remaining olive trees set aside for the region. Once the new trees were in the ground, the group returned to the previous planting site and re-planted the trees that had been torn out.

Two members of the Israel Defense Forces arrived as the work finished. While the workers gathered up tools and extra materials, the soldiers demanded to see identification. They claimed the area was a closed military zone, but refused to show the required paperwork. Four villagers and two internationals were forced to wait while the soldiers checked their papers, but no arrests were made and the party left Saffa unhindered.

Since Saturday, roughly 240 new olive trees have been planted in the region.

Several members of the planting crew began arguing with the soldiers about the return of their tools and the rightful ownership of the land. The remaining activists and farmers continued planting out of eyesight of the military. Settler security forces outside Bat Ayn monitored their progress, but did not approach.

At around 9:45, more IDF soldiers and members of the Civil Administration arrived with documentation for the Closed Military Zone. They presented it to the farmers, and another argument quickly ensued. While the military area was clearly marked, the area where the farmers were planting was well outside the line. The soldiers refused to accept this, insisting that the landmarks around Saffa corresponded with different elements on the map.

All the while, farmers and activists continued planting. When the large group near the soldiers had planted all their trees, they began walking towards Beit Ommar. The soldiers followed, reminding everyone that anyone who stopped would be arrested. When the IDF was satisfied that all civilians were back in the village, they returned to their vehicles and left the valley. All items confiscated were recovered by the villagers.

The entire Aady family was held in Safa for roughly an hour before more members of the IDF and Civil Administration arrived in two jeeps. The newly arrived military personnel began arguing with the farmers. Several members of the family began returning towards their land, where they had left a group of bagged olive saplings, stakes, and plastic sleeves. The soldiers followed them, and attempted to arrest them as the Palestinians tried to stake the three previously planted trees upright. Palestine Solidarity Project activists successfully intervened, and ultimately, no arrests were made.

Israel Defense Forces herded the civilians back towards the village. When family members tried to collect their saplings, stakes, and plastic, the soldiers stopped them. In the end, the stakes and saplings were left behind, but the plastic was allowed to leave.

By this time, two Israeli solidarity activists had arrived at the scene. The soldiers collected all civilians and showed the orders designating the Safa Valley a Closed Military Zone until Sunday. The soldier in charge explained that he would return then, with another order declaring the valley off-limits to the farmers.

Finally, two hours after the family was originally detained, the IDF forced the farmers to leave their land. All military personnel withdrew to their jeeps along the valley floor. Several village children that had been jeering the soldiers from higher terraces began tossing rocks; the soldiers shot tear gas at them and made a half-hearted, two-man assault up the valley slope before returning to their vehicles. The two jeeps left through Beit Ommar, with three soldiers walking back through Safa towards the Bat Ayn settlement.

The Safa Valley has been under repeated Closed Military Zone orders since April of 2009. Since then, farmers with land in the region have consistently risked violence and arrest to cultivate their fields.

Three Israeli military jeeps joined the event, shooting tear gas canisters at nearby houses and threatening the participants with arrest. Despite military intimidation the event continued for over an hour, and 800 trees were successfully planted. The event followed the successful planting of 2,400 trees in Saffa last winter, which the military has since threatened to uproot.

The Israeli military has been harassing farmers and activists in Saffa for several years. A series of closed military zone orders in the summer of 2009 and again in the fall 0f 2010 have prevented farmers from freely accessing their land, and have led to hundreds of arrests of Palestinian, Israeli and international solidarity activists. The Israeli military’s effort to prevent farmers from accessing their land is part of a larger plan to annex the land in Saffa to the neighboring Bat Ayn settlement.

In addition to military intimidation and harassment, farmers in Saffa have been subject to frequent violence from the Bat Ayn settlers. A series of settler attacks in the spring of 2009 left several farmers wounded and much of the land destroyed. Attacks have continued throughout the past two years, culminating in an attack the day before in Ayen Al-Baid which left several hundred trees destroyed by Bat Ayn settlers.