AT-TUWANI UPDATE: November 2008
December 11th, 2008
in:
CPTnet
11 December 2008
AT-TUWANI UPDATE: November 2008
Serving on team during this period were Tarek Abuata, Jan Benvie, Dennis Bricker, Johann Funk, Art Gish, Maureen Jack, Allen Johnson, Alwyn Knight, Rich Meyer, Sam Nichols, Sean O'Neill, Paulette Schroeder, and Members of Operation Dove (referred to as “Doves.”)
SUMMARY: During November, the plowing season closed successfully. The villagers of At-Tuwani successfully plowed fields that have been left unplowed in recent years because of settler violence. Palestinian shepherds continued to graze their flocks while having to remain acutely aware of the presence of Israel settlers who carried out one attack in November. Palestinians passing through At-Tuwani faced the possibility of detentions and delays as the Israeli military continued to patrol the area. Throughout the month, the Israel military escort failed to complete the school escort route, resulting in Israeli settlers chasing the schoolchildren.
Friday 7 November 2008
Abuata and Meyer accompanied children from the neighboring villages of Tuba and Maghayir Al-Abeed to football practice in At-Tuwani. A settler vehicle approached Abuata and Meyer as they were returning to At-Tuwani after escorting the children home. One masked settler got out of the vehicle and began throwing stones at the CPTers and demanding that they leave the area.
Later in the afternoon, an Israeli military vehicle entered At-Tuwani and stopped numerous Palestinian vehicles. The Israeli military took several identification cards (IDs) of the Palestinian drivers and passengers. Additionally, they removed license plates of the vehicles. Soldiers returned the IDs to the Palestinians after the team contacted Israeli human rights organizations. However, soldiers told Palestinians they would have to report to the Kiryat Arba police station, near Hebron, to retrieve their license plates.
Saturday 8 November 2008
The Israeli military setup a checkpoint on the road to Yatta. The soldiers produced an order and a map defining a closed military zone including large areas to the east and west of At-Tuwani, as well as both sides of route 317.
In the evening, an Israeli military vehicle entered the village and stopped at the house of one of the village leaders. The soldiers pushed their way into the home searching for a certain Palestinian man. The soldiers shouted and cocked their rifles in front of Palestinians and internationals. Despite finding only women and children in the home, they continued to insist that the man, whom they referred to as a “murderer” was hiding, in the home. The soldiers also threatened to shoot this man if they saw him. They then approached a vehicle parked outside of the home and confiscated a duffle bag that was in the car.
Saturday 15 November 2008
Benvie and Knight were accompanying shepherds on Mshaha hill when twelve to fifteen masked settlers appeared on the ridge above them. The masked settlers made a loud cry as they began to run down from the ridge, throwing stones and wielding sticks. They pursued the shepherds, sheep, and CPTers into Mshaha valley, and up and over Khoruba ridge, still throwing stones. The stones injured Knights’ left arm and ankle. The attacking settlers also temporarily stole two donkeys belonging to the Palestinian shepherds. The villagers later found one donkey stabbed in the neck, who survived, while the other donkey was stabbed in the lung and bled to death on the hillside. (See “AT-TUWANI: Israeli settlers attack Palestinian shepherds, kill donkey, injure internationals,” http://www.cpt.org/cptnet/2008/11/17/tuwani-israeli-settlers-attack-palestinian-shepherds-kill-donkey-injure-internatio)
Sunday 16 November 2008
The Israeli military was nearly two hours late for the afternoon school escort. Calls made by CPT and Doves to the military remained unanswered. They called various other organizations to try to put pressure on the army to send an escort. The soldiers finally arrived but failed to complete the entire escort. As the unaccompanied children walked towards their villages, two settlers ran from the outpost of Havat Ma'on towards them. They caught up with the children and shouted as the children were passing the settler chicken barns. Another settler appeared on the hillside and began picking up rocks as he jogged towards the children. Because no military escort was present, the children had to flee.
Friday 21 November 2008
At-Tuwani villagers and their extended relatives came to participate in the plowing of Khoruba and Mshaha valleys. The gathering was the first time in ten years that parts of Mshaha had been plowed. The villagers plowed Khoruba valley without incident and the section of Mshaha valley most vulnerable to settler attack was also plowed. Near the completion of the plowing, three settlers and one small child came down to the fields. Two of the men walked past the soldiers, who did nothing to stop them, into the fields where the Palestinians were plowing and stood in front of the tractors. The Palestinians who were present formed a human wall to stop the settlers from obstructing the work of the tractors. The Israeli military and police present did nothing to stop the Israeli settlers from attempting to obstruct the plowing work of the legal landowners.
Saturday 22 November 2008
Landowners from the village of Mfagara successfully plowed the lower section of Mshaha valley. They brought four donkeys to the fields to finish the plowing as quickly as possible to avoid a confrontation. Israeli settlers watched from the hillsides adjacent to the fields. Five military and police vehicles were in the area for the duration of the plowing. This day of work completed the plowing of Mshaha valley. (See AT-TUWANI: Villagers successfully plow “lost” land http://www.cpt.org/cptnet/2008/11/29/tuwani-villagers-successfully-plow-%E2%80%9Clost%E2%80%9D-land)
Monday 24th November 2008
During the morning school escort, a settler tractor came to the valley below the settlement of Ma'on and began plowing. The field they plowed is owned by a man from At-Tuwani, but earlier in the year settlers fenced in a portion of this field. This action effectively annexed the property and increased the land the settlers have stolen in this valley.
In the afternoon, Nichols and O'Neill were at the dismantled settlement outpost to monitor. After sighting the school children before they had passed the chicken barns, they observed a settler grazing goats, and then three other settlers appeared and began to put on masks. Feeling threatened, they withdrew down into the valley preventing them from monitoring the escort.
A CPT delegation of ten persons arrived and spent the night in Tuwani.
11 December 2008
AT-TUWANI UPDATE: November 2008
Serving on team during this period were Tarek Abuata, Jan Benvie, Dennis Bricker, Johann Funk, Art Gish, Maureen Jack, Allen Johnson, Alwyn Knight, Rich Meyer, Sam Nichols, Sean O'Neill, Paulette Schroeder, and Members of Operation Dove (referred to as “Doves.”)
SUMMARY: During November, the plowing season closed successfully. The villagers of At-Tuwani successfully plowed fields that have been left unplowed in recent years because of settler violence. Palestinian shepherds continued to graze their flocks while having to remain acutely aware of the presence of Israel settlers who carried out one attack in November. Palestinians passing through At-Tuwani faced the possibility of detentions and delays as the Israeli military continued to patrol the area. Throughout the month, the Israel military escort failed to complete the school escort route, resulting in Israeli settlers chasing the schoolchildren.
Friday 7 November 2008
Abuata and Meyer accompanied children from the neighboring villages of Tuba and Maghayir Al-Abeed to football practice in At-Tuwani. A settler vehicle approached Abuata and Meyer as they were returning to At-Tuwani after escorting the children home. One masked settler got out of the vehicle and began throwing stones at the CPTers and demanding that they leave the area.
Later in the afternoon, an Israeli military vehicle entered At-Tuwani and stopped numerous Palestinian vehicles. The Israeli military took several identification cards (IDs) of the Palestinian drivers and passengers. Additionally, they removed license plates of the vehicles. Soldiers returned the IDs to the Palestinians after the team contacted Israeli human rights organizations. However, soldiers told Palestinians they would have to report to the Kiryat Arba police station, near Hebron, to retrieve their license plates.
Saturday 8 November 2008
The Israeli military setup a checkpoint on the road to Yatta. The soldiers produced an order and a map defining a closed military zone including large areas to the east and west of At-Tuwani, as well as both sides of route 317.
In the evening, an Israeli military vehicle entered the village and stopped at the house of one of the village leaders. The soldiers pushed their way into the home searching for a certain Palestinian man. The soldiers shouted and cocked their rifles in front of Palestinians and internationals. Despite finding only women and children in the home, they continued to insist that the man, whom they referred to as a “murderer” was hiding, in the home. The soldiers also threatened to shoot this man if they saw him. They then approached a vehicle parked outside of the home and confiscated a duffle bag that was in the car.
Saturday 15 November 2008
Benvie and Knight were accompanying shepherds on Mshaha hill when twelve to fifteen masked settlers appeared on the ridge above them. The masked settlers made a loud cry as they began to run down from the ridge, throwing stones and wielding sticks. They pursued the shepherds, sheep, and CPTers into Mshaha valley, and up and over Khoruba ridge, still throwing stones. The stones injured Knights’ left arm and ankle. The attacking settlers also temporarily stole two donkeys belonging to the Palestinian shepherds. The villagers later found one donkey stabbed in the neck, who survived, while the other donkey was stabbed in the lung and bled to death on the hillside. (See “AT-TUWANI: Israeli settlers attack Palestinian shepherds, kill donkey, injure internationals,” http://www.cpt.org/cptnet/2008/11/17/tuwani-israeli-settlers-attack-palestinian-shepherds-kill-donkey-injure-internatio)
Sunday 16 November 2008
The Israeli military was nearly two hours late for the afternoon school escort. Calls made by CPT and Doves to the military remained unanswered. They called various other organizations to try to put pressure on the army to send an escort. The soldiers finally arrived but failed to complete the entire escort. As the unaccompanied children walked towards their villages, two settlers ran from the outpost of Havat Ma'on towards them. They caught up with the children and shouted as the children were passing the settler chicken barns. Another settler appeared on the hillside and began picking up rocks as he jogged towards the children. Because no military escort was present, the children had to flee.
Friday 21 November 2008
At-Tuwani villagers and their extended relatives came to participate in the plowing of Khoruba and Mshaha valleys. The gathering was the first time in ten years that parts of Mshaha had been plowed. The villagers plowed Khoruba valley without incident and the section of Mshaha valley most vulnerable to settler attack was also plowed. Near the completion of the plowing, three settlers and one small child came down to the fields. Two of the men walked past the soldiers, who did nothing to stop them, into the fields where the Palestinians were plowing and stood in front of the tractors. The Palestinians who were present formed a human wall to stop the settlers from obstructing the work of the tractors. The Israeli military and police present did nothing to stop the Israeli settlers from attempting to obstruct the plowing work of the legal landowners.
Saturday 22 November 2008
Landowners from the village of Mfagara successfully plowed the lower section of Mshaha valley. They brought four donkeys to the fields to finish the plowing as quickly as possible to avoid a confrontation. Israeli settlers watched from the hillsides adjacent to the fields. Five military and police vehicles were in the area for the duration of the plowing. This day of work completed the plowing of Mshaha valley. (See AT-TUWANI: Villagers successfully plow “lost” land http://www.cpt.org/cptnet/2008/11/29/tuwani-villagers-successfully-plow-%E2%80%9Clost%E2%80%9D-land)
Monday 24th November 2008
During the morning school escort, a settler tractor came to the valley below the settlement of Ma'on and began plowing. The field they plowed is owned by a man from At-Tuwani, but earlier in the year settlers fenced in a portion of this field. This action effectively annexed the property and increased the land the settlers have stolen in this valley.
In the afternoon, Nichols and O'Neill were at the dismantled settlement outpost to monitor. After sighting the school children before they had passed the chicken barns, they observed a settler grazing goats, and then three other settlers appeared and began to put on masks. Feeling threatened, they withdrew down into the valley preventing them from monitoring the escort.
A CPT delegation of ten persons arrived and spent the night in Tuwani.
