A Routine Founded on Violence

B’Tselem investigation: Settlers assault Palestinians and file false reports against them; military arrests the victims

22 July 2020

Tractors in the fields of Turmusaya. Photo: Iyad Hadad, B'Tselem, 5 April 2009

State-backed settler violence against Palestinians – which ranges from killing and injuring individuals to damaging property and land – has long been a routine part of the occupation. The military allows these acts to occur, and in some cases soldiers provide the settlers with back-up and even join in on the attack. The Israeli law enforcement system investigates such incidents on rare occasions only, and hardly ever holds the perpetrators accountable. The settlers, well aware that their chances of facing consequences for harming Palestinians are low, carry on with their violence unimpeded.

In two cases B’Tselem documented in March and April 2020, settlers not only injured Palestinians and damaged their property, but also alleged that the victims had been the ones to attack them. Backed by the military, settlers live in a world of nearly automatic impunity. Palestinians, in contrast, are guilty until proven innocent. If a settler files a police report against a Palestinian, the latter is immediately arrested and given high bail for conditional release – even in the absence of any evidence for the allegations.

In one of the above cases, soldiers arrested three Palestinian brothers who were grazing their flock when settlers arrived and tried to drive them away. The brothers were detained for five days and eventually released on a 3,000 NIS (~870 USD) bail. In the other case, soldiers arrested a Palestinian tractor driver who was attacked by settlers who then claimed he had tried to run them over. He was held in detention for ten days and released on a 4,000 NIS (~1,160 USD) bail.

A person who has been violently assaulted or whose property has been damaged normally expects the authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable. However, in the abnormal reality of 'bare life' under Israel's occupation regime, Palestinians do not receive even minimal protection. In the two cases detailed here, the victims were assaulted twice – first by settlers with state backing, and then by the authorities, with encouragement from the settlers.

A description of the two cases follows.

Turmusaya, Ramallah District, 10 May 2020: Settlers assault farmers; military detains one farmer for 10 days

The settlement outpost of Adei Ad was established near farmland belonging to residents of Turmusaya. Two years ago, settlers built another outpost next to the first. Since then, the village residents have avoided their land for fear of being attacked or harassed. This year, ahead of the plowing season, the village agricultural committee organized the plowing to encourage owners to return to their land.

On Sunday morning, 10 May 2020, at around 8:00 A.M., two tractor drivers the committee hired, Suliman ‘Asfur (27) and Yusef Muzahem (38), went to the land with several farmers from the village. Immediately after they began plowing, three settlers arrived bearing stones and pipes. Two of them started to harass the tractor drivers and tried to prevent them from plowing the soil. The settlers tried to remove the tractors’ keys, lay on the ground to block their path and even tugged at the drivers’ shirts to try to pull them out.

At some point, a settler who was trying to pull Suliman ‘Asfur out of his tractor slipped and fell. He pretended he had been run over and started screaming and shouting in pain. Yet a few minutes later, he got up and went back to harassing the drivers as though nothing had happened.

In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Iyad Hadad on 13 May 2020, Yusef Muzahem recounted:

As soon as we got to the plot, about three settlers in their 20s and 30s appeared, holding stones. They were unkempt and had skullcaps (kipahs). Two of them lay down in front of the tractors and blocked our path, while the third filmed them. We tried to drive around them, but they held on to the tractors and tried to pull the keys out by force. They grabbed at our shirts to pull us out of the tractors.

This went on for about five minutes. Then, as one of them was trying to pull Suliman out of the tractor by his shirt, he stumbled over a deep furrow and fell. I saw this happen from about ten meters away. At first, the settler tried to pretend he’d been injured and started groaning as if he was in pain. We drove away and tried to continue plowing. A few moments later, he got up and started blocking our path again as if nothing had happened.

Minutes later, the same settler sprayed Muzahem in the face with pepper-spray while he was driving. Muzahem felt like he was suffocating and his eyes strung, and tried to drive away. Meanwhile, the settler flung himself in front of ‘Asfur’s tractor and pretended he had been run over again time. At that point, a settlement security coordinator drove up. When he saw the settler lying on the ground, he pulled out two stun grenades and hurled them at the tractor drivers.

‘Asfur, who was in the middle of an argument with the settlers, got into the tractor and tried to get away. The security coordinator chased him, climbed onto the tractor, pulled out his gun and threatened to shoot him if he didn’t stop the tractor. When ‘Asfur stopped and climbed out, the security coordinator ordered him to sit on the ground, took the tractor keys and ‘Asfur’s ID card, and called the Israel Police and the military. Border Police officers arrived, arrested ‘Asfur and took him, handcuffed and blindfolded, to the Binyamin police station.

Muzahem was rushed in a Red Crescent ambulance to the village clinic. Later, at around 10:00 A.M., he went with two members of the agricultural committee to the Binyamin police station to file a report against the settler who had pepper-sprayed him. They waited at the station until 5:00 P.M. for the officers to register their complaint.

In his testimony, Suliman ‘Asfur described the interrogation at the Binyamin police station:

I told the interrogator I had nothing to say and that I just wanted to show him the videos I’d taken when the settlers attacked us, which proved I hadn’t run anyone over. He watched the footage. There were about 16 videos and it took about two hours to go through them. As he watched, he took notes and asked me questions. All the videos prove we weren’t violent at all. In the video where the settler was supposedly run over, you can see the tractor’s wheel not moving and the settler putting his foot under it on purpose. The wheel doesn't run it over. The interrogator took my phone and sent me back to the holding room. At 11:00 or 12:00 P.M., they transferred me to detention at the Ofer military prison.

On 19 May 2020, a military court judge determined that “this incident justified an investigation and arrest to that end.” Nevertheless, as the investigation was effectively over, and as the prosecution did not request otherwise, the judge ordered ‘Asfur released on a 4,000 NIS bail (~1,160 USD). That night, after ten days in custody, ‘Asfur was released after the agricultural committee paid his bail.

In his testimony, ‘Asfur added:

The prosecution and the police refused to show the videos that prove my innocence in court. They took away my freedom for ten days without any justification. We’re always potentially guilty until proven innocent, but when it comes to the settlers, it’s the other way around.

14 April 2020: The community of Arab al-Ka’abneh, east of a-Taybah, Ramallah District,

On Tuesday morning, 14 April 2020, at around 9:00 A.M., 'Abd a-Rahman Ka’abneh (21) was grazing his flock on farmland owned by residents of a-Taybah, about 300 meters from the community’s homes. Minutes later, two settlers appeared and began shouting at him to leave the area, claiming that he was on Jewish land. Ka’abneh called his brothers, Ahmad (34) and Mus’ab (32), who quickly arrived. When they got there, a verbal argument ensued with the settlers and at one point, the settlers started throwing stones at the flock. One of the settlers filmed the incident. After the Ka’abneh brothers tried unsuccessfully to push the settlers away, they called other relatives. Two of them arrived and started filming the incident, too.

Ahmad Ka’abneh described the incident in a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Iyad Hadad on 3 June 2020:

When we got there, we saw settlers shouting at my brother and taunting him, trying to drive him and his flock away. One of them, who was tall and skinny with a red beard and a white skullcap (kipah), kept insisting we leave with the sheep because it's the Land of Israel and it belongs to them. He demanded we show him proof of ownership. Once in a while, they threw stones at the sheep to scatter them. At one point, one of the settlers started filming us. We knew they were trying to frame us, but we hadn't used any violence against them. We just pushed them with our hands to get them out.

A few minutes later, four soldiers drove up in a jeep and one of them immediately fired two shots in the air. The soldiers took the three brothers to the jeep. The brothers tried to explain that they had not attacked the settlers, and that the settlers were the ones who had tried to drive them out of their land. The soldiers refused to listen and silenced them, while watching the settlers' footage of the incident.

In his testimony, Ahmad Ka’abneh described the soldiers’ conduct:

While they were leading us to the jeep, they slapped us, kicked us and swore at us. We tried to explain that we’d been grazing our flock and that the settlers were the ones who'd attacked us, but they ordered us to be quiet. The settlers showed them videos of us threatening them and trying to drive them away, but there was no violence. A relative of ours tried to show the soldiers the video he had taken, so they could understand the situation, but they just took his phone away and deleted the footage.

The soldiers made the brothers sit by the jeep and handcuffed them. At around 11:00 A.M., an Israel Police vehicle and a military jeep arrived and took them to the Binyamin police state.

In his testimony, Ahmad Ka’abneh recounted what happened at the police station:

One of the officers interrogated me without taking the handcuffs off or reading me my rights. He told me that I was suspected of attacking an Israeli farmer and showed me a video of us trying to drive the settler away and threatening him with a stick. But there's no footage of us physically assaulting them, because it didn’t happen. He talked to me for about half an hour and demanded all sorts of details about my life. He also asked about ownership of the land and why we were grazing our flock there. When he asked why we had a stick, I explained that we always take a stick along when we graze the sheep, to guide them and drive away flies, but that it doesn’t mean we had any intention to attack anyone. When the interrogation was over, the interrogator demanded that I sign my testimony in Hebrew. I refused, because I can’t read Hebrew and I don’t trust the Israeli police. My two brothers were also interrogated, and then they locked us together in a cell.

Later on, at around 1:00 P.M., the Ka’abneh brothers were taken to the Ofer military prison, where they were held in custody for five days. On the morning of 19 April 2020, they were brought to a hearing before the military court and subsequently released on a 3,000 NIS (~870 USD) bail.

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Faraj Tamimi (a-Zaru) after his release. Photo by Manal al-Ja’bari, B’Tselem

Hebron City Center

Soldiers attack Palestinians complaining of settler violence and arrest one for allegedly assaulting them

On Saturday, 25 September 2021, at around 6:30 P.M., four women and two girls – 9 and 12 years old – from the Tamimi (a-Zaru) family went to spend time on land that belongs to their family, which lies near their homes in the Jabal Jales neighborhood of Hebron. The outpost of Giv'at Gal was established about 50 meters from the plot, next to the settlement of Kiryat Arba. Shortly after they sat down, two teens arrived and began swearing at them. The women and girls ran home, with the teens giving chase and throwing stones at them, one of which hit Riham Tamimi (34) in the leg. After the women got home, Riham's brothers Faraj (36) and Hamed (42) went to the military post at the entrance to the outpost to complain about the assault. When they got there, they saw two soldiers along with the two teens. The soldiers and teens argued with the brothers and swore at them. Meanwhile, about 30 more soldiers arrived and an officer ordered the brothers to go home. When the two brothers reached the entrance to the path leading to their house, they noticed five soldiers following them. The argument resumed and the soldiers attacked Hamed. Faraj tried to fend them off and pushed two of the soldiers, at which point they pounced on him, beat him and kicked him all over his body. One of the soldiers threatened him at gunpoint and another tied his hands. Faraj was then taken to a nearby military base. While he was waiting there, one of the soldiers who had beaten him attacked him again with a metal object and threatened to kill him. Several hours later, Faraj was taken to the police station at Beitar Illit. The two soldiers who had assaulted his brother and him rode with him in the jeep. Upon arrival, one of the soldiers was interrogated while Faraj stayed with the other soldier, who demanded that he not mention the assault in the interrogation. The second soldier was then interrogated, after which Faraj was interrogated. The interrogator accused him of assaulting soldiers and throwing stones, allegations he vehemently denied. After about an hour, the interrogator said he had a court hearing scheduled in six months and had to pay NIS 1,000 (~325 USD) in bail. Faraj returned home at 2:00 A.M. With that, another routine day under the occupation came to an end. A family spending leisure time on their land had to flee violent teens, and appealing to soldiers for help led to severe violence, false arrest, interrogation carried out against all regulations and payment of hundreds of dollars. In a testimony she gave B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari, Riham a-Tamimi (a-Zaru) (34), a mother of two, described what happened that day: I’m a teacher at the Yusra a-Natsheh Boys’ School in Hebron, and I volunteer with B’Tselem’s camera project. I live with my mother Nura (65), my father Shaker (74) and my daughter Razan (9). My brothers and uncles live next door with their families. Our house is on the road leading to the outpost of Giv’at Gal, which was established 50 meters away. On Saturday, 25 September 2021, at around 6:30 P.M., I went with my mother, my daughter Razan, and my cousins Rawnad (20), Hanin (18) and Shahd (12) to sit on our land, which is between our house and the outpost. Suddenly, two settlers, both about 15 years old, showed up and started swearing at us. They were holding pepper-spray canisters. We decided to go home. The two settlers followed us to the entrance to the path that leads to our homes. On the way, they threw stones at us and we ran home. One of the stones hit me in the right leg. It hurt a lot. I started crying and shouting at the settlers. My brother Faraj (36) came and when the two settlers saw him, they immediately ran towards the outpost. Faraj saw that I was crying and was injured in the leg. He called my brother Hamed and they both went to the military post at the entrance to the outpost to tell the soldiers what happened. I stayed in the yard to see what was going on with them. I also tried to film it on my phone. There were two soldiers at the post. The two settlers teens who had attacked us were standing next to them. I heard them arguing. There was shouting between my brothers and the two soldiers and the teens. Then another settler joined in. She looked about 40 years old. I saw more soldiers come to the post. After about 20 minutes, I saw Hamed and Faraj come back. As soon as they got to the entrance to our path, five soldiers showed up and started arguing with them. I saw two of the soldiers attack Hamed and beat him. Faraj tried to defend him and pushed the two soldiers, but then the soldiers started beating him, too, and pointing their weapons at him. My mother and I were shaking with fear. We were afraid the soldiers would shoot my brothers. Meanwhile, my uncles Rashed and Radi arrived. They tried to free Faraj from the soldiers. Two of the soldiers tied Faraj’s hands behind his back and led him towards the military base. In his testimony, Faraj Tamimi (a-Zaru) (36), a father of six, described being beaten and arrested by the soldiers: On Saturday evening, I got home after a day’s work in construction. As soon as I got to the path leading to our house, I saw two settlers, about 15 years old, chasing women from my family including my sister Riham (34) and my mother Nura (65). The settlers were throwing stones and swearing at them. I saw that one stone had hit Riham in the leg. The two settlers ran away when they saw me. I called my brother Hamed (42) and we went together to the military post at the entrance to the outpost of Giv’at Gal, which is about 50 meters away from our home, to talk to the soldiers. When we got to the post, there were two soldiers there along with the two settlers who had thrown the stones. I told the soldiers what they’d done. To my surprise, one of the soldiers swore at me and told us to get lost. We got into a loud argument with the soldiers and the settlers. Then another settler arrived, possibly the teens’ mother, and she joined in the argument. Meanwhile, I saw one of the soldiers talking on a two-way radio, and then about 30 more soldiers showed up. I spoke with an officer and told him what happened, but he also swore at Hamed and me and ordered us to leave. When we reached the path leading to our house, we were surprised by about five soldiers who must have followed us. They yelled at us and swore at us, and we yelled back at them. While we were arguing, they jumped Hamed and started punching him. I got between Hamed and the soldiers in order to protect him. I tried to fend off the soldiers, shouted at them and pushed them. They immediately accused me of assaulting them and started hitting me, too. They beat me and kicked me all over my body and face, and my left eyebrow started bleeding. Meanwhile, my uncles Rashed (65) and Radi (52) came out of the house and tried to calm the soldiers down and stop them attacking me. One soldier pressed his weapon to my chest and another twisted my arm behind my back. They tied my hands together with zip ties and led me to a spot near a military camp in the settlement of Kiryat Arba, where they sat me down on the ground and then swore at me and threatened to kill me. While I was sitting there, one of the soldiers who had attacked Hamed and me hit me with a sharp metal object, which was like brass knuckles, in the right side of my chest and in my stomach. It hurt a lot and I started shouting. The soldiers pulled him off me. I was screaming in pain, and then two soldiers pulled me to my feet and put me in a military jeep. I sat there for about 10 minutes, and then one of the soldiers got into the jeep and threatened to kill me if I didn’t calm down. He took me out of the jeep and sat me down on the ground again. I sat there for about an hour Then the soldiers led me into the camp and left me in the yard for about two and a half hours. Five soldiers watched over me and all that time, kept cursing and mocking me. Then a man in military uniform came and asked if I had any illnesses, and I said I didn’t. I told him I was in pain from the soldiers’ beating, especially the beating with the sharp metal object. He examined me, cleaned the wounds on my head, stomach and chest, and put some iodine on them. Later, the two soldiers who had attacked Hamed and me came over and threatened to kill me, but a soldier who was there wouldn’t let them near me. I was put in a jeep and taken to the police station outside the settlement of Beitar Illit. The two soldiers who had attacked us rode with me in the jeep. Before we entered the police station, a police officer came over to us. He swore at me and shouted at me, “Keep your head down, eyes to the ground!” Then he told the two soldiers to leave me in the yard One of the soldiers went into a room with the interrogator and I stayed outside with the other soldier, the one who had attacked me with the sharp object. He told me not to tell the interrogator he’d attacked me, but I refused. He insisted that I not mention it, but I said that the camp’s cameras had documented the attack and that I would file a complaint against him . After about half an hour, the first soldier came out of the interrogation room and the second soldier went in. After he came out half an hour later, I was taken in for questioning. There was an interpreter there. An interrogator who introduced himself as Rafi spoke to me and accused me of assaulting soldiers and throwing stones. He threatened to arrest me and lock me up. I denied the allegations and told him that the soldiers and settlers were the ones who had attacked my family and me for no reason. The interrogation lasted about an hour, and then the interrogator informed me that I had a court hearing scheduled for 5 April 2022. He told me I had to pay NIS 3,000 (~972 USD) in bail. My uncle Rashed came and talked to him. He managed to get the sum down to NIS 1,000 (~325 USD), which he paid on the spot. We left the station and got home around 2:00 A.M. I was exhausted and aching. I’m still in pain all over my body.

25 November 2021

Muhammad a-Talhami after his release. Photo by Manal al-Ja’bari, B'Tselem

Hebron City Center

Border Police and settlers attack family in Hebron during argument over crossing a checkpoint, arrest member and demand he not complain against a settler in exchange for releasing him

On Monday, 5 July 2021, at around 10:30 P.M., sisters Rima and Iman a-Talhami were on their way home from the dentist. Rima (41), a mother of five, is a resident of East Jerusalem, and Iman (43), a mother of six, lives in the a-Salaimeh neighborhood in central Hebron. The two women were driving in Rima’s car, which has Israeli license plates, to Iman’s house. When they reached Checkpoint 160, which the military erected about 200 meters from Iman’s house, two Border Police officers stationed there refused to open the gate and let them through, without offering any explanation. The two women called Iman’s son Muhammad (22), to come and translate for the police officer. Yet even then, the officers refused to let them through, tried to forcibly snatch the car keys from them and hit Muhammad. Two settlers who came to the checkpoint attacked Iman, who was later taken to hospital. The officers did nothing to prevent the settlers from harming her. This incident is no exception. Hebron is laden with military checkpoints, which Palestinians depend on the goodwill of soldiers and police to cross. This violent routine is all too familiar to Palestinians in Hebron and throughout the West Bank. In a testimony she gave B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari on 8 July 2021, Rima a-Talhami recounted what happened that day: On 5 July 2021, at around 10:30 P.M., my sister Iman and I arrived at Checkpoint 160. We were on the way back to her house after going to the dentist in town. When we got to the checkpoint, I stopped at the gate and waited for them to open the gate for vehicles. Two Border Police officers were standing next to it, and one of them was talking to two Israeli girls who looked about 18. I asked the officer to open the gate so I could drive through. I showed him my Israeli ID card. He refused to open the gate. I told him that I always cross the checkpoint with my car, and he answered in Arabic mixed with Hebrew that he didn’t feel like letting me through this time. I replied that I wouldn’t move until he opened the gate. I called my nephew Muhammad and asked him to come to the checkpoint and talk to the officers because he knows Hebrew. Muhammad arrived within a few minutes and spoke with the Border Police officer, but he still wouldn’t let me through with the car. After we waited there for about half an hour, another car with a young Palestinian driver arrived and he offered to drive my car through the checkpoint. I gave him the keys and he got in the car, parked it by the roadside [on the other side of the checkpoint] and handed me the keys. The officer immediately tried to snatch the keys from my hand. I put them in my pocket and he tried to take them out, but I wouldn’t let him. I told him that if he wanted to search me, he had to get a female officer. Muhammad explained it to him in Hebrew, and then the officers attacked him. During the argument over the keys, two settlers came to the checkpoint and started filming us on a cellphone. One of them mocked me. When my sister Iman asked them not to film us, one of them attacked her and she fell down. Meanwhile, the Border Police officers detained Muhammad. The settler who attacked Iman also tried to attack Muhammad, but the officers wouldn’t let him. They led him to his car and asked both settlers to leave the area. In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari, Muhammad Nidal a-Talhami (22) described how he and his mother were attacked: After about half an hour of arguing with the soldiers, more cars drove up to the checkpoint. A young Palestinian got out of one and suggested to my mother and aunt that they get out of the car and he drive it through the checkpoint. He said the Border Police officers would let him. They agreed and got out, and he got into the car. My mother and aunt stood by the checkpoint. Meanwhile, two settlers arrived, one of them a huge man wearing shorts, and they started filming my mother and aunt on a cellphone. The young man drove the car through the checkpoint, parked it by the roadside and handed the keys to my aunt. One of the Border Police officers ran over to them and tried to snatch the keys from her hand, but she put them in her pocket. The officer tried to take the keys out of her pocket, but we objected to him touching her and ask him to call a female officer. The officers got angry, jumped me and tried to handcuff me. At that moment, I saw the huge settler push my mother, and she fell down and screamed in pain. I tried to free myself from the Border Police officers, but they overpowered me after slamming me against the checkpoint fence, kicking me and hitting me. While the officers were holding me, the settler tried to attack me. I saw one of the officers talking to him, and then the settler got in his car and drove away. My mother was still on the ground and looked unconscious. After a few minutes, an ambulance arrived and took my mother and aunt to hospital. Then the officers let me go and I went home. At around 3:00 A.M., I went to get my mother and aunt from the hospital in my aunt’s car and brought them back to our house. I later learned that the officer had demanded that my family not file a complaint against the settler in exchange for my release. I had bruises on the right side of my head, on my right arm and on other parts of my body from the beating I took from the officers while they were trying to control me.

8 August 2021

Settlers throwing stones at the Geith neighborhood across the fence. Photo by Nael Fakhuri, 11.5.21

Hebron City Center

Settlers stone Palestinian residents; soldiers escorting them arrest B’Tselem volunteer for no reason, abuse him and release him two days later

On 11 May 2021, at around 5:00 P.M., dozens of settlers, including women and children, attacked Palestinian residents of the Gheith neighborhood in central Hebron and threw stones at them through the fence that the army erected in order to limit Palestinian access to the main street . The residents threw stones back at the settlers. Soldiers ignored the settlers and hurled tear gas canisters and stun grenades at the residents. During the attack, settlers also stoned neighborhood resident Nael Fakhuri, a volunteer with B’Tselem’s camera project who was passing by with his son (10) and a neighbor (18). Immediately afterwards, six Border Police officers jumped Fakhuri and arrested him. Fakhuri was transferred between three police stations, interrogated, beaten by soldiers while handcuffed and blindfolded, and released only two days later after paying NIS 4,000 (~1,220 USD). In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari on 6 June 2021, Nael Fakhuri (45), a father of seven, recounted what happened that day: I live with my wife and our seven children in the Gheith neighborhood, in front of the Bakery Checkpoint, which is 50 meters away from our home. I work in a pottery shop. On 11 May 2021, I was off work for the Eid al-Fitr holiday and stayed home. At about 10:00 A.M., settlers started attacking neighborhoods that lie near the settlement of Kiryat Arba. I followed what was happening on websites and Facebook and assumed they’d get to our neighborhood. At around 5:00 P.M., about two hours before the Eid al-Fitr dinner, I went outside to go to my family’s grocery store and heard residents screaming from some distance away. A lot of settlers of all ages, including women, came to the area of Checkpoint 160, which is about 200 meters south of our home. They attacked homes and residents close to the checkpoint. I saw the settlers and residents who were trying to defend their homes throwing stones at each other. Then the settlers moved on to our neighborhood and started throwing stones at homes there. The residents threw stones back to try and drive them away. Soldiers who arrived intervened and hurled tear gas canisters and stun grenades at the residents. When the settlers got close to our house, I was alone. But then my brother Faraj (48) joined me with other young guys from the neighborhood, and we all stood in the doorway of the building. The settlers threw stones at us from behind the fence that separates our house from the road, and tried to open the gate in the fence. We fastened the gate with iron wire but they managed to open it, and about 50 settlers came into the neighborhood. We had no choice but to throw stones at them to defend ourselves and drive them away. The soldiers fired stun grenades and tear gas canisters in our direction to disperse us. About half an hour later, the settlers left the neighborhood and continued to throw stones at our homes from the street behind the fence. We kept on throwing stones from our side of the fence to drive them away. At some point they left, but at around 8:00 P.M. they came back and gathered behind the Bakery Checkpoint. At that time, my son (10), the neighbors’ son (18) and I were on our way to pick up the things I’d bought earlier with a cart. I’d left them in front of the Bakery Checkpoint by the grocery store, because of the settlers’ attack. A plainclothes ISA officer came over to me with another person, who I think was also an intelligence agent. They checked my ID and let me go. When we got to the Bakery Checkpoint, the settlers attacked us, threw stones at us and spat at us. Then six Border Police officers jumped me and took me to the police station. The officers said they just wanted to talk to me. They detained me for more than an hour at the police station and then drove me in a patrol car to the Kiryat Arba police station. I was held there, handcuffed and blindfolded, until 1:30 A.M. I was hungry and thirsty, because I hadn’t eaten or drunk since morning due to the Ramadan fast. At around 1:30 A.M., I was taken into interrogation. The interrogator accused me of throwing stones and assaulting a police officer. I hadn’t seen or assaulted any officer. The interrogator said there were witnesses and that if I didn’t confess, he’d send me to the Etzion police station. When I refused, they took me in a patrol car to the Etzion station and sat me in the yard. While I was sitting there, handcuffed and blindfolded, the soldiers beat me, kicked me and swore at me one after the other until 4:30 A.M. Then they put me in a room with three other detainees and left me there until 2:00 P.M. Then I was transferred to Ofer Prison. At Ofer Prison, a doctor examined me and then they put me in a holding room where I was held until the morning of 13 May 2021, on a holiday. At midday, I was told there was a court hearing in my case. I attended it remotely and a lawyer represented me. The judge decided to release me on condition that I pay 4,000 shekels. I paid the fine and was released around midnight. Relatives of another detainee who was released took me to the Qalandia Checkpoint, and from there I took a taxi to al-‘Eizariyah. My brother picked me up from there and took me to his house in southern Hebron at around 2:30 A.M. In the morning, I went home. I was very sad that my wife and kids had spent the holiday like that, without me. My wife told me they hadn’t worn festive clothes and that she’d only served the guests coffee, without holiday sweets, because of the situation. The sum of the fine – 4,000 shekels – is huge for a simple worker like me. My brother had to borrow money from relatives to pay it, and now I have to pay it back. I later found that five other young guys from the neighborhood had been arrested.

4 August 2021