The Method – Removing Activists;
The Goal – Free Reign for the Settlers
The previus weekend, the Israeli police, yet again, demonstrated that its goal in the West Bank is to encourage Jewish terrorism and remove those who try to prevent it. It is becoming increasingly clear, that as a matter of deliberate policy, the security forces in the occupied West Bank, are reneging on their role, as representatives of the military government, to protect the Palestinian residents, who are at the bottom of the social and economic ladder.
Here are two stories that serve as examples:
Every day, underage at-risk neglected boys from an illegal settlers’ outpost show up at the Ras al-Ein community in the southern Jordan Valley together with their herds. Uninvited, they trespass into the village area and feed their herds with the hay that the Palestinian shepherds prepared for their own flocks. They also have their herds drink the precious and scarce water the Palestinians need to keep their animals hydrated.
The goal is to create friction, intimidate, and ultimately drive out the Palestinian community. This had already been done to many other Palestinian communities that were driven out. It is worth mentioning that the livelihood sources of the Palestinians are already extremely limited since workers are banned from going to work within the Green Line. (Curiously, the ban does not apply to employment in the settlements). The herds are vital for the communities’ subsistence.
“Looking the Occupation in the Eye" activists arrive daily and stand ground between the settlers and the homes of the Palestinian community to prevent invasion and friction. Every day, as a matter of routine, the army and police are called in. If the forces arrive, they side with the settlers, claiming that as it is within Area C, supposedly it is permissible for the settlers to trespass and steal as they wish.
On Friday, an activist was attacked with wooden club by one of the settlers. The police were called and, of course, they arrested the activist on charges of "disturbing the order." The activist was then banned from entering the West Bank for 15 days. The settler continued his exploits with no interruption.
The next day, Saturday, an activists’ vehicle was blocked by a settler who claimed they had thrown stones at him. Large police and army forces detained the two activists, on the pretense that the vehicle’s backup light was out of order.
The number of arrests and expulsions of human rights activists, based on false complaints, is increasing in direct proportion to the escalation in Jewish terrorism. The picture is clear and cannot be obscured: the police and the army are supporting Jewish terrorism in the West Bank and removing activists who try to prevent it. This is the additional battle front that Israel Katz and Bezalel Smotrich, together with their coalition partners, are yearning for.
When there are no human rights activists on the ground, everything becomes free for all, and there is no one to prevent the injustices from being committed.
At the end of a busy Shabbat, Gali Hendin summed up the day:
On our way to Ras al-Ein, for the Shabbat afternoon shift, Amir and I stopped, as we always do, in Fasayil to pick up Jamal and his son so they would unclog the village's water pipe. When we arrived, three "Na`arey Gvaot" (hilltop youth) were waiting for us there. The Palestinians were a little stressed but got to work, while we stood there to provide “protective presence" from the hostile little settler boys who were trying to tease and engage us.
On the way back to the village, a civilian pickup truck showed up behind us, overtook us abruptly, and blocked our way. A guy wearing a kippah got out of the vehicle and shouted into his phone that he had stopped the stone throwers, "two Jews and two Palestinians". He informed us that we were being detained. We managed to drive on and dropped Jamal and Muhammad off back at Fasayil. Next, soldiers belonging to the local security unit of the neighboring settlement, Tomer, arrived and tried to detain us, telling us we had to wait for the police. We refused as they had absolutely no authority to order a detention.
We continued our way towards Ras al-Ein. On the main street of Auja, a police car pulled up following the guy who had accused us of stone-throwing. The policeman signaled for us to stop, claiming he wanted to conduct a safety inspection of the car. For half an hour, the policeman checked and looked for any defect he might use to cite us. Finally, he decided that the break-light was not working properly. He also noted that there was an (irrelevant) check engine light on. The policemen then revoked our car's registration, so that the vehicle will not be allowed to be operated until it passes a formal inspection. On top of that, he added a fine of 1,000 Shekels.
In the meantime, military and police vehicles with about 15 men in uniform, some of them masked, had gathered in Auja. They surrounded us and blocked our car. An officer, who refused to identify himself, informed us that we would be detained for three hours. When we asked why, his answer was: "Because I am the commander in the field and that is my decision." After about half an hour, he announced that we were being released.
We continued to Ras al-Ein, joined Doron, Posta and Robin near the Abu Taleb compound, and there we saw seven settlers together with their herd. They harassed, bullied and photographed us, and lied as they usually do. We called the hotline several times, but no security forces arrived. Finally, the terrorists left and returned to their outpost.
And here is a report from Masafar Yatta:
Yesterday, Saturday January 25th, 2025, between 14:00-14:30, shortly after we were informed of the release of the 4 Hostage women, a group of 6 settlers attacked the village of Al-Tuba in Masafar Yatta. They burned a car with the driver inside who, only by miracle, managed to escape. They caused extensive damages to houses, burned animal feed and attacked a 12-year-old girl. When they were done, they sneaked back to the Ma'on farm.
The violence of settlers has been escalating dramatically in recent weeks in this area of Masafar Yatta. The army, police and administration simply do nothing to stop them. Instead, it seems evident that they are in fact supporting them.
