Articles tagged with: settlers
Beit Ommar, Settler Violence »
Late Sunday night at around 10pm, on February 13, 2011, a large group of about 50 armed Israeli settlers attempted to enter the Palestinian village of Beit Ommar to harass residents. The settlers arrived in the area near the military tower at Beit Ommar’s entrance. Dozens of villagers, including activists with the Palestine Solidarity Project and the National Committee, also came to the area to defend their village. After a stand-off that lasted more than one hour, the Israeli Military ordered the settlers to leave the village.
On January 28th, 2011, another group of settlers from Bat Ayn invaded the area shooting live ammunition. 17-year-old Yousef Ikhlyal was shot in the head while working on his family’s … Continue reading
Beit Ommar, settlement expansion »
On February 12, 2011, Beit Ommar villagers, supported by Israeli and international solidarity activists, surprised the Israeli military by demonstrating in a different area near the settlement of Karmei Tsur. The area chosen is closest to where Israeli settlers are building new houses on land that legally belongs to Beit Ommar farmers. This week Beit Ommar residents were joined by representatives from popular committees throughout the West Bank, including the villages of An-Nabi Saleh, Hebron, Susiya and Towana.
Demonstrators declared their solidarity with the people of Egypt, and celebrated the fall of the Mubarak regime. Protesters gave speeches praising … Continue reading
Beit Ommar »
On Saturday, February 5, 2011, at 1pm, a very large demonstration was held in the center of Beit Ommar village to remember Yousef Ikhlayl, a 17-year-old resident of the town who was murdered last week by Israeli settlers as he was working on his family’s farmland. Dozens of villagers, including Yousef’s family, were joined by Israeli and international solidarity activists, as they marched to Route 60, the main road connecting the cities of Bethlehem and Hebron. Israeli Forces attempted to disperse the demonstration using sound bombs and tear gas. Fortunately, there were no arrests or serious injuries during this week’s demonstration.
The unarmed gathering was … Continue reading
Beit Ommar, Settler Violence »
On January 29th, 2011, thousands of residents of Beit Ommar as well as from surrounding villages attended the funeral of Yousef Fakhri Ikhlayl, the 17-year-old boy shot in the head by Israeli settlers the day before. Yousef was brain-dead in Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron before succumbing to his wounds early in the morning.
The Israeli military attacked the funeral around 12pm, shooting live and rubber bullets into the crowd as well as throwing sound bombs and tear gas. Over 40 people suffered from a range of injuries that included live gunshot wounds, none of which appeared serious.
[gallery]After noon-time prayers an estimated 10,000 people carried Yousef’s body through the streets of Beit Ommar. The villagers also waved … Continue reading
Beit Ommar, Settler Violence »
Update: Late Friday night, Yousef Ikhlayl succumbed to his injuries. His funeral is being held in Beit Ommar Saturday, January 29, 2011.
For Immediate Release:
Friday, January 28th 2011, 9am: Around 100 settlers from Bat Ayn settlement descended upon the Palestinian villages of Saffa and nearby Beit Ommar in the southern West Bank, shooting 17-year-old Yousef Fakhri Ikhlayl in his head, leaving him critically injured. Doctors have announced that Yousef is currently brain-dead in a Hebron hospital.
Settlers also shot 16-year-old Bilal Mohammad Abed Al-Qador with live ammunition in his arm.
The large group of armed settlers began shooting towards Palestinian homes in Saffa at around 9am, leaving Bilal injured. At the same time, a second group of settlers attacked … Continue reading
Beit Ommar, Settler Violence »
On Wednesday January 26 at 10 am, settlers from the militant Bat Ayn settlement destroyed several hundred olive trees in the Ayen Al-Baid region of Beit Ommar. The trees belonged to Hamad Soleiby, a 70 year-old farmer who has been repeatedly subject to violence and harassment at the hands of the Bat Ayn settlers. Hamad Soleiby was beaten by settlers in 2004, and his fruit trees and grape vines were cut down by settlers the same year. The olive trees that were destroyed this week were at least 30 years old.
Hamad Soleiby has continued to work his land despite settler violence and intimidation. He swears that he will continue to work his land, even if it means that … Continue reading
Beit Ommar »
On Saturday, January 15th, 2011, about fifty villagers from Beit Ommar, supported by many international and Israeli solidarity activists, attempted to clean a road near the Israeli settlement of Karmei Tsur as part of the weekly demonstration organized by the National Committee and the Palestine Solidarity Project. Israeli Forces shot tear gas at the demonstrators, and forced the group to return to the village after a short time.
[gallery]The road the demonstrators were attempting to clean historically connected Beit Ommar to Halhoul and to other areas to the south in the Hebron district. However, after Karmei Tsur was built, the Israeli military does not let anyone maintain this road, let alone use it for travel to other areas. … Continue reading
Betlehem District, Hebron District, Settler Violence »
On Friday, January 7th, at 10am, Israeli settlers attacked Azmi Shoyokhi, a general member of all National Committees in the West Bank, while he was supporting Palestinian farmers in Om Al-Arrays, in the South Hebron Hills. About a dozen settlers surrounded Azmi, striking him in his head. Israeli military along with police were in the area and witnessed the attack, but they did nothing to intervene.
Palestinian organizers with the Palestine Solidarity Project were also present in Om Al-Arrays at the time of the attack to show solidarity with Kamal Nawajeaa, a farmers who owns 1500 dunums of land close to an Israeli settlement. Settlers plant … Continue reading
Beit Ommar »
At 4am on the morning of Wednesday, December 16th 2010, a contingent of Israeli soldiers accompanied a group of settlers into the town of Beit Ommar. They woke up the guardian of the Old Mosque and demanded that he open the building for them. On entering the Old Mosque the settlers began taking photographs of the interior.
The guardian was told that the settlers wish to partition the mosque and use their half for prayers three times a week, claiming that the building holds special religious significance for them.
The residents of Beit Ommar strongly oppose this move for several reasons. The mosque, which is around 800 years old, is located in the old quarter of the town. It is still used … Continue reading
Saffa, settlement expansion, Settler Violence »
The Bat Ayn settlement was established in the early 1990s by a breakaway group from the nearby Gush Etzion settlement. Bat Ayn was established under the guidance of the controversial Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg. Rabbi Ginsburg has been quoted in the New York Times as stating that “any trial based on the assumption that Jews and goyim [non-Jewish people] are equal is a total travesty of justice”. Rabbi Ginsburg also praised the actions of Baruch Goldstein who in 1994 murdered 29 people and wounded more than 125 people who were praying in a mosque in Hebron.
Bet Ayn is one of over 200 Israeli settlements within the … Continue reading
