CPTnet
25 May 2006

AT-TUWANI: Despite Defence Ministry orders, Israeli soldiers continue to
shirk responsibility for protect Palestinian school children

Settlers from Ma'on settlement and the Hill 833 outpost continue to harass
the Palestinian children from Tuba while they walk to and from school in
At-Tuwani.

On Wednesday 10 May, the Israeli defense minister's bureau issued a report
stating that Amir Peretz instructed the Israeli military and police to
increase the security for the Palestinian children passing the Hill 833
outpost on their way to and from school. The report also states that the
escort should immediately arrest anyone who harasses the children.

The following incidents that have occurred since the defense minister's
bureau issued the 10 May orders:

Thursday, 11 May

During the morning walk to school, a settler walked along with the children
and soldiers yelling at the children and blowing a shofar (horn.) The
soldiers did not try to make the man leave.

Monday, 15 May

The afternoon military escort arrived at 2:30 p.m., one and one half hours
after the scheduled 1:00 pm meeting time. The soldiers gave no reason for
their tardiness.

Thursday, 18 May

The army escort was over one hour late in the morning to meet the children
and escort them to At Tuwani. During that hour, the children waited at the
meeting place near the settler chicken barns south of the Ma'on settlement.
Settlers have frequently harassed the children in this area while they await
the arrival of the military or police.

Saturday, 20 May

During the morning school patrol, four male settlers dressed completely in
white approached the escort and walked among the children. The soldiers did
not try to prevent the settlers from having contact with the children. The
children reported that some of the settlers pushed them.

Sunday, 21 May

During the morning school patrol two settlers, a man and a woman, approached
the patrol as it they walked by the settler mobile home on the eastern edge
of the Hill 833 outpost. According to the children the woman yelled at them,
hit them and tried to drag a seven-year-old boy away from the group. The
man yelled at them. The soldiers did not try to stop any of the settlers'
actions. Members of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) and Operation Dove
observed a portion of the attack from a nearby hill. At the end of the
patrol, members of CPT confronted the commander of the four soldiers and
asked him why they did not stop the attack.

The commander told them that according to his orders, he could do nothing to
the man unless he directly assaulted the solders. He also said that he
could do nothing about the woman's actions because the male soldiers are not
allowed to touch Jewish women.