CPTnet
21 March 2006

AT-TUWANI: Israeli settlers launch campaign of harassment against
Palestinian villagers

In recent months radical Israeli settlers from Ma'on and Hill 833 have
repeatedly threatened and attacked Palestinians from the tiny village of
Tuba in the South Hebron Hills. Omar Abu-Jundiyeh, a leader from the Tuba
community, described this trend of harassment as a new concerted effort by
the local settlers to drive the Palestinians off their land.

The settlers harass the residents of Tuba using three main tactics. The
first targets travelers along the path between Tuba and Karmil--a village
north of Tuba--and Ma'on. This path runs near Ma'on's cow barns, from where
a particular settler, rifle in hand, watches Palestinian traffic along the
path daily.

On 6 January, the settler stopped Abu-Jundiyeh as he traveled on the path,
knocking Abu-Jundiyeh off his donkey and pointing his gun at him. The
settler said he would kill Abu-Jundiyeh if he ever saw him again.
Abu-Jundiyeh filed a complaint at the Kiryat Arba Israeli police station.
The police officers showed him several pictures of settlers, and Abu
Jundiyeh identified the man from among them.

On two more occasions, the police requested that Abu-Jundiyeh travel to the
police station to identify the man. The first time Abu-Jundiyeh complied.
After he identified the settler again from pictures, the police promised him
that they would arrest the man.

The next time Abu-Jundiyeh declined to make the trip, even though the police
claimed to have the man in custody. He had just seen the settler on his
usual patrol moments before the police called him. Abu-Jundiyeh contends
that the police do not intend to pursue justice.

A second settler tactic targets Tuba shepherds and their livestock. On 18
February, a Saturday, Abu Jundiyeh's son and nephew were grazing their
flocks between Tuba and Ma'on. One settler spotted the shepherds, called
over several other settlers, and together they hurled rocks at the
shepherds. The shepherds and animals escaped unharmed.

Also during the past month, a settler who lives in a shack on Hill 833 saw
two young shepherds out on the land. Fifteen other settlers joined him as
he shouted insults and threats at the shepherds. A security officer from
Ma'on was present and gave one of the settlers a gun from his truck, which
the settler used to escalate his threats. The shepherds' mothers ran out to
them at that point, managing to bring the boys safely back home.

Finally, the settlers target the children from Tuba who attend school in
At-Tuwani. On 4 February, as the children were walking home from school
with their army escort, about six masked settlers ambushed them. They slung
stones at the children, but no one was hurt. The soldiers chased after the
settlers, but the settlers escaped. The police came to take a report from
the residents of Tuba later that afternoon, but the Palestinians have yet to
see any results from their cooperation with police.