Settler Violence

IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service provided by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, reported in late August 2008 that settler violence against Palestinians is on the rise in the Occupied Territories.

Corroboration is available from Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem, which reports, for example, that it is investigating 12 cases of settler attacks against Palestinians between 29 July and 4 August 2008. 

The International Committee of the Red Cross attests:

"Palestinians living close to Israeli settlements are not only dispossessed of their land, but are often harassed by settlers. The number of assaults on civilians in the West Bank has grown steadily. ICRC data collected in the field indicates that the number of offences more than tripled in the last five years, while complete police investigations are rare and most of the time reach the conclusion that 'the culprits could not be identified'."

     http://www.icrc.org/Web/Eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/palestine-report-131207

This overall trend is borne out by the work of a number of NGOs and human rights organisations that have worked to document and bring to a wider audience the abuses that continue to take place. A selection of the resources made available by such organisations is collected in this document.

Background

Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem describes the issue of settler violence thus:

"When Palestinians attack Israelis, the authorities invoke all means at their disposal to arrest the suspects and bring them to trial. Defendants convicted by military courts can expect harsh sentences… In contrast, when Israeli civilians attack Palestinians, the Israeli authorities employ an undeclared policy of leniency and compromise toward the perpetrators."

B'Tselem continues: 

"All law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities demonstrate little interest in uncovering the substantial violence that Israeli civilians commit against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories." 

     http://www.btselem.org/English/Settler_Violence/Index.asp 

B'Tselem has a range of other resources on related issues. The dual system of law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories can be viewed here, while the nature of the violence can be viewed here. The handling of complaints of settler violence can be viewed here. Related B'Tselem publications can be viewed here, while related photographs are here.  

Shooting Back 

In January 2007, as part of an attempt to bring the situation to a wider audience, Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem launched the initiative 'Shooting Back,' which it describes as "a video advocacy project focusing on the Occupied Territories." 

"We provide Palestinians living in high-conflict areas with video cameras, with the goal of bringing the reality of their lives under occupation to the attention of the Israeli and international public, exposing and seeking redress for violations of human rights." 

Full details of 'Shooting Back' can be viewed here, and a sample of videos shot on this initiative here.  

Impunity

It has long been suspected that a culture of impunity protects settlers and the Israeli Defence Forces from being held accountable for their actions against Palestinians.

For example, on 13 September 2008, about 100 settlers from Yitzhar went on a three-hour rampage in the West Bank village of Asira al-Qabaliya following the stabbing and wounding of a 10-year-old Israeli settler. It was reported in Israel's Haaretz newspaper that he was "lightly injured."

During the rampage, "a Palestinian youth was killed and a settler, two women tourists and eight Palestinians were injured," reported the BBC. A committee of pro-settlement rabbis praised the "courage and heroism" of the Yitzhar settlers.

Following the stabbing of the settler boy, the army set up roadblocks in an attempt to capture the perpetrator, yet despite four Palestinians being treated for gunshot wounds, police have not arrested any of the settlers who were filmed in the act. In the footage, Israeli soldiers are present at the scene, but do not take any action to prevent the violence and destruction of Palestinian property.

With the aim of redressing the culture of impunity that surrounds settler violence, Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organisation made up of volunteers, currently devotes its time and resources to promoting law enforcement of settler violence in the West Bank. Information relating to the project can be viewed here, with recent relevant data available here. Recent Yesh Din publications include: 

- "Ahead of the olive harvest 2007: Yesh Din's demands from the security forces (October 2007)," available here, details the failures of the law enforcement agencies' handling of violence by Israeli civilians against Palestinian harvesters the previous year. 

- "A Semblance of Law: Law Enforcement upon Israeli Civilians in the West Bank (June 2006)" documents the serious failures at all stages of the law-enforcement process on Israeli civilians who commit crimes against Palestinians. A summary of the report is available here, with the full report available here. 

Blocked Access

Blocking access to the areas surrounding settlements, a method of settlement expansion, has become a serious issue. A report from Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem (September 2008) demonstrates how:

"For years, Israeli authorities have both barred Palestinian access to rings of land surrounding settlements, and have not acted to eliminate settlers' piratical closing of lands adjacent to settlements and blocking of Palestinian access to them."

The report contends that:

"In recent years, Israel has institutionalized the closing of such lands in an attempt to retroactively sanction the unauthorized placement of barriers far from the houses at the edge of the settlements."

The introduction and conclusions of the report can be viewed here.

Testimonies and video footage corroborating the report can be viewed at the following links: 

Testimony of Fahmiyeh Fakheideh  

Testimony of Saleh Daraghmeh 

Testimony of Kholud Shhadeh  

Testimony of Fawzi Jabarin  

Testimony of Abdallah 'Aqel 

Video: Settler saws off and steals branches of fruit trees in Palestinian's orchard  
 

Documentation of Evidence  

Several NGOs maintain databases of incidents of settler violence against Palestinians. 

One is the Alternative Information Centre, which has detailed records going back to October 2000, available here.  

The Palestine Solidarity Project documents incidents of settler violence, with examples available here. 

Israel's B'Tselem has a list of recent incidents, including video footage where available, here  
 

Testimonies  

A few organisations maintain and make available a list of testimonies from Palestinians who have been victims of settler violence or harassment.     

B'Tselem has a number of testimonies here    

Many sworn affidavits of victims have been collected and made available by Al-Haq, a Palestinian human rights organisation based in Ramallah. Below is a selection: 

Samer Bassam Mustafa al-Haj 'Ali, resident of Huwwara, Nablus Governorate (June 2008) 

Ahmad Mahmoud Kayed Hdeib, resident of the Old City of Jerusalem, Jerusalem Governorate (June 2008) 

Shaher Muhammad 'Abd-al-Rahman Tawil, farmer and a resident of Far'ata, Qalqiliya Governorate (May 2008) 

'Isa Isma'il Hasan 'Amr, resident of Hebron, Hebron Governorate (January 2008) 

Ribhi, farmer and a resident of 'Asira al-Qibliyya, Nablus Governorate (May 2008)