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Up close and personal with the discrimination Palestinians face every day from Israeli authorities.
took over the West Bank “This is the Israeli army.” As we get closer to the scene of a recent settler attack in the village of al-Sawiya, our Palestinian driver Mohammad exclaims, “They’re coming up the road!” in a startled manner.
He receives the message from worried peasants gathered on the street. I’ve never worked with someone as tense and nervous as Mohammad. He’s already told me about several horrific encounters he had at the hands of the Israeli soldiers during our brief conversation.
We exit the vehicle. I have to hurry because I’m afraid the army would stop us from documenting the attack’s damage.
Days have passed with intermittent rain, and a white fog that looms over the hills and streets, slowly dissipating and heightening the anxiety.
An automobile was doused with gasoline and set ablaze by Israelis residing in a neighboring illegal colony last night. Witnesses claim that they intended to burn down the neighboring home while the families slept inside, but they were discovered and driven away, leaving just the car damaged.
When an armored police car and two military jeeps arrive, troops are unloaded and insist that I not take pictures of them right away. Instead than attempting to get evidence from the crime, they appear determined to make a show of force and intimidate the locals into silence.
Locals claim that after Hamas’s assaults in southern Israel on October 7, not only has settler violence escalated throughout the occupied West Bank, but settlers also appear to have the backing of the Israeli military.
Youngsters, enthralled with the chaos, wave, grin, and offer my camera a “Hello.” “Habibi, how are you?” they inquire. The women stay inside and are sporadically spotted through the windows, but the guys appear much more serious.
Potentially dangerous and armed settlers
We had been to a Palestinian Bedouin settlement in Maarajat, in the highlands west of Jericho, the day before. Now that most of the year has passed, the countryside is rich with greenery. Over time, the Bedouins residing at the base of a gentle slope have discovered that they are encircled by illicit Israeli colonies and outposts.
The Bedouins indicated the distance during the filming. Two settlers in a tiny off-road vehicle had been sighted by them. To my amazement, they had M16 guns in their hands and were outfitted like Israeli troops. While I was filming, our Bedouin hosts, who were clearly worried, sought cover behind a sheep corral nearby. We discussed whether or not to approach these armed and perhaps dangerous individuals.
The leader of the Bedouin people, Suleiman Atallah Mlaihat, showed us video that he and his family had recorded of everyday attacks on their village and cattle by settlers. Suleiman and two companions made the decision to call the police to report the offenses due to increasing threats and acts of violence.
Suleiman had to approach the Israeli police since the Palestinian police are powerless to put an end to Israeli settlements. The police station is located around twenty minutes away by car, inside the boundaries of a bigger community.
We witnessed the hostility Sulieman and his people faced from the Israelis as soon as we arrived at the settlement. The entry guards were really furious and yelled frantically. Sulieman was warned by a guard not to get any closer because she feared for her safety.
She was equipped with an M16 assault weapon, body armor, and a helmet. Suleiman is wearing pants, a T-shirt, and sneakers.
Despite objections from the guards, calls were placed, and after approximately an hour, a police escort showed up to take the three Bedouins inside the settlement to the police station.
Later on, we find out that Suleiman took nine hours to tell the police about his experiences, and that since then, settlers have continued to assault his neighborhood on a regular basis.
Like all Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank, the Bedouins are nevertheless under constant stress and worry about assaults by settler groups.
SOURCE :-ALJAZEERA
