CPTnet
29 September 2012
SOUTH HEBRON HILLS: “Tell the world” to help stop evacuation of villages for war practice

by Bob Holmes

About sixty people met in At-Tuwani on 22 September to begin a solidarity walk to many of the villages threatened by the ever expanding military occupation of the South Hebron Hills: Palestinians, women, children and men from the surrounding villages and towns, Jewish and Palestinian Israelis from Tayoush, and Internationals from Operation Dove, Ecumenical Accompaniment, International Solidarity Movement and Christian Peacemaker Teams.

I spoke with Eli*, a Jewish activist from Jerusalem, who was there because, in his view, the land confiscation and colonization does not represent the Jewish values he cherishes. He doesn’t have much hope for a political solution … but maybe, someday, a leader will arise with strong moral values.

We set off for Um Fagarah on a route that took us close to the Israeli settler outpost of Avigail. Three Israeli army jeeps, an Israeli police van and an Israeli security vehicle from Avigail blocked the entrance to the outpost and watched as the young Palestinian women pasted up a poster on an Israeli army cement barrier declaring in Arabic and English, “Palestinian Peace Area.”

Rest and water in Um Fagarah, an oft threatened village, and then on to Tuba. On the way I spoke with Mahmoud* who was from a village near the Israeli settlement of Karmel. His village suffers periodic attacks from settlers, but nowhere near the violence of the “gang of Israeli settlers” at Havot Maon, an outpost very close to At-Tuwani.

Our route took us close to Havot Maon and we were met this time by six army jeeps and a police van. About a dozen Israeli settlers came out in protest of our protest. A line of Israeli soldiers moved along the hills to separate the two groups. While the Palestinians chanted, “This is our land!” in Arabic, the settlers yelled back in Hebrew.

Rest and water again in Tuba, a small village that has suffered frequent attacks from the “gang” at Havot Maon, and then onwards. On the top of the highest hill around, Hafez, the leader of the nonviolent resistance in At-Tuwani, spoke. “What you can see from here are several of the villages which have been ordered evacuated so that the Israeli army can practice war here – Fire Zone 918. Please help us stop this evacuation by telling the world about it!”

We returned to Tuba for lunch, music, and an invitation to enjoy their hospitality overnight.

*Not the real name