CPTnet
16 June 2009
AT-TUWANI UPDATE: May 2009


[Note: According to the Geneva Conventions, the International Court of Justice in the Hague, and numerous United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal.  Most settlement outposts are considered illegal under Israeli law.]

On team during this period Tarek Abuata, Jan Benvie, Cassandra Dixon, Jessica Frederick, Alwyn Knight, Sam Nichols, Sean O’Neill, Joe Wyse, and members of Operation Dove (the Doves.)

SUMMARY:
On five occasions, Israeli settlers and Israeli soldiers attempted to drive Palestinians off their land.  However the shepherds and farmers remained.  Team members documented Israeli settlers from the settlement of Susiya and settlement outposts of Avigail and Havat Ma’on building new structures, planting trees and grazing their flocks on privately owned Palestinian land

The Israeli District Coordinating Office (DCO) of the Civil Administration (the branch of the Israeli military that administers civilian affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories) ordered a stop to the work of bringing electricity to Tuwani (at present the villagers depend on a small generator, which provides three-four hours electricity a day).

During the last full month of school, Israeli soldiers failed to complete the escort of the Palestinian children of Tuba and Maghaer Al-Abeed to and from school.  The soldiers regularly arrived late for the escort and on some occasions, the children had to wait up to forty-five minutes in the summer heat.  The soldiers made the children run home from school on three occasions.


Palestinian nonviolent resistance through agricultural and infrastructure work

Thursday 7 May
Jan Benvie and a Dove accompanied Palestinian shepherds grazing their sheep in Khoruba.  Around 8:00 a.m., they observed Israeli settlers outside of the outpost of Havat Ma’on.  Shortly thereafter, an Israeli army vehicle came.  The soldiers told the shepherds they had to leave the area, saying settlers had called and reported that Palestinians had come to their house.  Benvie and the Dove explained to the soldiers that this claim was not true.  The shepherds insisted on staying in the area despite the the soldiers threatening threatening them with arrest.  Another army vehicle arrived, and a captain spoke with the shepherds.  He agreed they could stay in the area.  The army then left, and the shepherds slowly made their way home.

Wednesday 13 May
Sam Nichols and a Dove accompanied Palestinian shepherds in Khoruba Valley.  Israeli settlers, an Israeli security guard from Ma’on, and Israeli soldiers arrived.  The soldiers said Palestinian shepherds were not allowed to stay in Khoruba Valley.  The Palestinians insisted on their right to graze their land.  The soldiers stayed until the Palestinians finished grazing their flocks and left the area.

Saturday 23 May
Jessica Frederick and Sean O'Neil accompanied Palestinian shepherds in the afternoon.  While walking with the shepherds to Khoruba, two settlers from Havat Ma’on followed the group for a short time.  One settler was masked.  The settlers remained near Havat Ma’on, singing and yelling insults, such as calling the Palestinians dogs.  After some time, the settlers brought out their sheep and goats to graze.

Monday 25 May
Contractors hired by the Palestinian National Authority began constructing electricity pylons in the village to connect At-Tuwani to the main Palestinian electricity network.  At around 10:30 a.m. an Israeli vehicle from the District Coordinating Office (DCO) came into the village.  The Chair of the At-Tuwani Village Council later told members of CPT and the Doves that the DCO told the Palestinian contractors they were not allowed to install the electricity pylons because the electric lines would cross the Israeli electric lines that run along by Route 317.  (See 26 May CPTnet release, “AT-TUWANI URGENT ACTION: Demand that Israeli occupying forces allow At-Tuwani to bring electricity into their village.”)

Saturday 30 May
Palestinians organized a successful harvesting action on their land near the settlement of Ma’on.  Soldiers watched from Ma'on, but did not interfere with the harvesting.


Settlement expansion

Friday 1 May 2009
Nichols and Joe Wyse went to the Palestinian village of Susiya to document that settlers had planted trees and installed irrigation systems on privately owned Palestinian land.  Settlers yelled at Israeli peace activists in the area and called them “Nazis.”  Palestinians will use the documentation provided by Nichols and Wyse to support their legal claim against the settlers.

Saturday 2 May
Cassandra Dixon, Alwyn Knight, and a Dove went to Susiya to celebrate the installation of a new solar power system and document a new house built by settlers on Susiya land.  (See 5 May CPTnet release, “SOUTH HEBRON HILLS:  Palestinians, Israelis celebrate solar and wind power installation in Susya, protest settlement expansion.”)

Friday 8 May
Wyse and a Dove documented new settlement construction by the Israeli outpost of Avigail.

Wednesday 20 May
In the afternoon, two Doves accompanied Palestinian shepherds in Humra Valley.  They documented two settlers working with a tractor for more than half an hour in the valley on privately owned Palestinian land.

Thursday 21 May
In the afternoon, Doves observed two settlers working outside of Havat Ma'on, in Humra Valley on privately owned Palestinian land.  The settlers threw stones as the Doves videoed and took pictures of the settlers’ work.

Wednesday 27 May
When Benvie and a Dove were returning from accompanying Palestinian shepherds, they observed settlers working in the area outside of Havat Ma’on, in Humra Valley.

Israeli military abuses during escort of Palestinian schoolchildren

Sunday 3 May
During afternoon school patrol, the children waited forty-five minutes for the Israeli military escort.  When the soldiers did arrive, they stopped short of the regular meeting area, making the children walk part of the way unescorted in order to meet them.

Monday 4 May
During afternoon school patrol, the soldiers drove behind the Palestinian children, revving the army jeep’s engine to make the children run quickly.  A Dove called the army escort and informed the dispatcher what was happening.  Shortly thereafter, the soldiers stopped revving the engine.

Sunday 17 May
During afternoon school patrol, the escort stopped approximately a third of the way through the school patrol and the children continued walking unescorted.  Shortly thereafter, Frederick and Wyse saw a soldier walking on the road into Ma'on.  Then the jeep sped quickly on, catching up with the children.  Two Doves were waiting for the children near their home in Tuba.  When the children reached them, they repeatedly told the Doves “the soldiers were not good” and that they drove quickly, forcing the children to run.

Wednesday 20 May
When the children were returning home from school, Benvie asked the soldiers to walk with the children.  Two soldiers came out of the back of the jeep and one said sharply to her, "I don't have to walk."  The soldiers walked only part way up the hill with the children, made the children run part of the way, and then got back into the jeep.


Other abuses of the Occupation

Friday 1 May 2009
Israeli police entered At-Tuwani and arrested the mayor, releasing him without charge a few hours later.