One might demolish their home, deny them water – but there are also petty, sneaky and winding ways to do it within the law, as it were, that are no less cruel because they impact one’s livelihood and the ability of one’s family to survive.

One of these ways if the sequestering of vehicles. When a Jewish Israeli breaks the law he is fined. There is no way a policeman would sequester your car because you crossed a red light, even if you put the lives of others at risk. When a Palestinian commits the slightest violation, bam! The car is gone, the tractor is sequestered, the truck is removed. Moreover, even if the Palestinian has not committed any violation, the confiscation will take place because he faces armed soldiers who have not the slightest knowledge of the law (perhaps it doesn’t really occupy their creative mind) and he cannot even explain and prove his innocence because they do not speak the same language. The woman-officer-commander says “I’m in charge here” and he is supposed to shut up, swallow his bile, knowing that tomorrow he will not be able to bring his children food nor his lambs water. He will not be able to deliver the fruit of his land, for woe be it if he tries to resist and stop them. “Attacking soldiers!” the Cossack will cry out.

This is what has been going on for the past week in the Palestinian Jordan Valley. In Bardala (an agricultural vehicle purchased lawfully from Israelis for whom it is too dated), in ‘Atuf (firing zone, in the heart of Area A!), in En Al Hilwa – dozens of tractors, vehicles and truck have been sequestered.

And this is what happened on Wednesday: 4 soldiers decided to confiscated two tractors that were parked within the compound of a Palestinian encampment. They were parked. Not moving, God forbid. Their license ran out two months ago because their owners cannot afford a new one. So the tractors were standing motionless in the yard. And a very old jalopy, too actually registered lawfully. The Palestinians explained, the soldiers did not understand them, and even after I translated, nothing changed for the soldiers are in charge, they are armed, strutting around with their rifles drawn, their finger on the trigger, spitting their orders over the Palestinians’ heads.

After 4 hours during which one of the Palestinians was shackled for trying to prevent his car from being towed away, deep into the night, after 20 soldiers and a more senior commander were alerted there, and after I summoned the police and had to sit on the front of the tractor in order to prevent its being taken away too, a short investigation showed there was absolutely no legal grounds for such confiscation  – neither of the car nor of the tractors.

And had there been no Israeli women-activists present? The two tractors and the car would have been towed away. All the Palestinians’ protests and explanation would have fallen on deaf ears. And then the confiscation would last a month or two and the Palestinians would have to pay a steep fine (thousands of shekels) in order to release them. And who has the money to turn to an Israeli court of justice to prove there is no ground for this act, and anyway they have no chances in such a court anyway.

And thus one act of confiscation follows another, one fine after another, and a poor farmer whose entire livelihood rests on goat cheese finances the State of Israel out of the basic bread of his children. Until he finally sees the light and leaves – that is the cherished hope of occupiers.