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Occupation magazine - Activism

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IDF covered settler aggression in Susiya and Tawane and the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian Jordan Valley escalates
Ta`ayush

This week – June 7-13, 2020 – in the Occupied Territories

50 Jewish settler-colonists invaded the Palestinian village of Susya, aided and escorted by Israeli army; a new branch of the settler-colonist outpost Havat Maon bullies the Palestinian village of Tawane and nearby Palestinian communities – an Israeli army force positioned on the spot to ‘protect’ the settlers declared the area a closed military zone for Palestinians; settler-colonists vandalized a cave and 40 sacks of grain at Khirbet Tawame; the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian Jordan Valley escalates: settler-colonist invasions of grazing grounds, vandalizing crops and expelling Palestinian shepherds have led to desertion of the area by local Palestinian communities; in numerous neighborhoods of East Jerusalem massive home demolitions took[place; the Israeli police continues to violently suppress demonstrations protesting the murder of Iyad Al Halak and police brutality

A ‘neighborly’ visit by settler-colonists of Havat Maon at the lands of Palestinian Tawane

South Hebron Hills

The Jewish settler-colonists continue to vandalize the Palestinians living in the area, their lands and property, all under the aegis of the Israeli army.

On Sunday, June 7, the vandals broke into a cave at Khirbet Tawamin and destroyed about 40 sacks of grain left there after the harvest, also damaging the structure itself.

On Friday morning, June 12, a group of about 50 settler-colonists invaded the Palestinian village of Susya. They came escorted by soldiers who did not intervene even when they entered Palestinians’ fields in an area closed to Israelis by the regional commander. They also wondered unhampered among Palestinian homes, and left the place a half-hour later.

At Tawane, a new expansion of the settler-colonist outp[ost Havat Maon is serving as a focal point for settler-colonist violence. On Thursday, June 11, settler-colonist youths threw stones from there at the Palestinian village homes. On Saturday Israeli activists and villagers attempted to use the road at the side of which the settler-colonists had placed themselves, but the army force positioned to secure the settler-colonist youths was summoned immediately and declared the area ‘closed military zone’ by order of the regional commander. (This track has been serving the villagers to access their fields and grazing grounds, as well as other communities living to the south of Tawane. However, since the settler-colonists have erected a tent and a caravan there 2 weeks ago, the villagers have not dared to use this track and have been forced to bypass the new outpost via long, winding tracks). The army force’s commander was asked how come the area is now closed to villagers who have lived there for generations, while the Jewish settler-colonists who have just erected their illegal outpost a few days ago are allowed to stay put - and answered that he is the authority deciding who remains and who is required to leave. When the activists were on their way back to the village, an armed settler-colonist ran out of Havat Maon and entered the Palestinians’ tended fields, closed to Israelis by order of the regional commander. The soldiers persuaded him until he relented to leave the area, and then tried to break into the Palestinian village. Many villagers congregated there and announced they would not leave until the settler-colonists leave the village.

At Atariya, once more on Monday a settler-colonist from the outpost Mitzpe Yair with his flock invaded tended fields belonging to inhabitants of the Palestinian village of Kawawis. Activists accompanying the shepherds there managed to chase the flock out of the fields. Activists accompanied the shepherds in this area again on Thursday morning. This time the settler-colonist watched them from afar and avoided entering the fields. Shepherd accompaniment took place there on Thursday afternoon and on Saturday as well, and Palestinian grazing proceeded unhampered. On Saturday, activists accompanied a quiet grazing session at Umm Al Imad.

Please, to fill shifts of shepherd accompaniment at Atariya on all days of the week, morning and afternoon, we need more activists. Join us!

At Birin, west of Manzal, the occupation forces demolished and confiscated the remains of 5 tents, on Monday, June 8.

To join Ta`ayush in The South Hebron Hills this Saturday call 0532363884

Please make an effort to register no later than Thursday evening, so we can organize the transportation and the activity properly. Unfortunately, we will not be able to guarantee registration afterwards.

Please bring an ID/passport, a hat, water and food for the day.

It is advised to take into consideration cultural differences in the choice of clothing.




The Palestinian Jordan Valley and the West Bank hill range


At Auja, in the southern Palestinian Jordan Valley, shepherds were accompanied on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Monday and Wednesday grazing went well. However, on Friday the soldiers violently drove away all the flocks from the area, and even arrested one of the shepherds and held him at the military base for hours on no pretext and without any authority to do so. The reason for this wave of army violence on that day was, apparently, a massive planting operation by the settler-colonists on Palestinian-owned land around Havat Omer outpost.

From the northern Palestinian Jordan Valley, reports are streaming in about driving away shepherds from all of their grazing grounds, invasions by settler-colonists and their flocks of tended Palestinian fields and the destruction of crops. As a result, some of the communities have now left the area.

Accompaniment of Palestinian shepherds to grazing grounds in both areas, West Bank Hill range and the Auja area, involves a great number of activists, and many more are needed during the next few weeks.

To join, please contact Arik: 050-5607034



East Jerusalem

Demonstrations protesting police brutality and the murder of Iyad Al Halak by the Boder Police are ongoing. On Tuesday morning a protest took place by the offices of the Police Investigations Department. In the afternoon, an organization of Palestinian women demonstrated opposite the Justice Department in East Jerusalem. The police dispersed the demonstration violently within minutes, and arrested three protesters. In the evening, another demonstration took place at Safra Square. There too police retaliated with harsh violence and arrested 6 protesters.

During the week occupation forces demolished structures all over Jerusalem. According to OCHA data, since the beginning of the week until Thursday, 5 buildings were demolished in Issawiya, another 5 in Anata, 2 buildings in Beit Hanina, one in A-Tour, one in Jabal Mukabar, and another in Ras Al Amoud.

The weekly protest in Sheikh Jarrah continues to take place every Friday, adhering to emergency procedures. The residents of Sheikh are protesting their violent evictions from their homes, the taking over of the neighborhood by the settlers, and the Judaization of East Jerusalem. They call upon each and every person who supports their struggle to join them

We will meet at the Sheikh Jarrah Garden, Nablus Road and Dahlmann St. at at 4 p.m



B’Tselem has published a report on settler-colonist violence in the Occupied Territories during the month of May. See: Settler-colonist violence back up by the State of Israel.

Links to the latest articles in this section

Stop considering – Recognize Palestine Now!
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Back home on the Gaza Border - and the terrible war still goes on