Shaab al-Butum: A Chronicle of Abuse to Deportation
Meitar Checkpoint is deserted as usual. Since war broke out, Palestinians are not allowed to enter Israel to work, and are unemployed now for over a year, no livelihood.
More than anything, the Israeli army and the colonists harass them more and more – them and their paltry belongings…
We drove to visit I. at Sha’ab A Botm and heard a description of the harassment he and his father underwent:
As every year, they try to plow their own fields. (see photo of the ownership document). A colonist arrived as they were plowing, summoned the army. 4 soldiers and a colonist arrived, treated the Palestinians roughly, shouting that they are not allowed to tend their fields. Their manual equipment was confiscated and they were threatened that if they dare return, their seeds would be confiscated as well. All this under guns pointed at them. They were afraid to remain on the ground and left. When they turned to the DCO about the confiscated equipment, they were told to think again what they would do with it. They are still thinking. There is a lawyer in the picture, but that does not really help.
Another time, I. called the police to complain. Policemen came, took his phone and told him not to call them again! Finally they returned his phone.
A colonist in army uniform from Mitzpe Yair keeps entering the village on his ATV, comes into homes with his rifle, threatens and frightens the women and children (does not break or take away anything). Police was summoned: the policemen forbade him to enter homes and threatened to arrest him. But he continues to drive around with his ATV, with special cutters, and cuts fences.
Human rights volunteers who accompanied them to the fields were also chased away and forbidden to take pictures. Now the volunteers are mainly in the houses on the outer edge of the village, to strengthen the locals and deter colonists.
Location Description
Sha'ab al-Butum
See all reports for this place-
This is one of the small Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta in the southern Hebron Hills, near the settlement of Mitzpe Avigail.
Since the outbreak of the October 7, 2023 war, settler violence against residents has escalated greatly, as in the entire Palestinian community. This violent conduct receives full backing from the state and full cooperation from the IDF. The goal is to make the lives of the Palestinian residents miserable and make them abandon and leave.
The population consists of mostly shepherds who peacefully seek to cultivate the land and graze their sheep, whom the settlers treat as a dangerous enemy. They prohibit them from any movement related to herding sheep and cultivating the land and harm everything: trampling crops, breaking olive trees, smuggling herds, scaring shepherds, conducting wild searches of houses, shouting, cursing and threatening - at all hours of the day. "We are Besieged, but will not move from our land," says Lila G. New settlements are springing up around them. At first it's a bus or a truck that turns into residential buildings, on top of which every week more residential buildings and animal sheds are added. With the open encouragement of the current government, Jewish terrorism is raising its head, with authority and permission. The settlers have received army uniforms and weapons, and no one is stopping them. The police, who are supposed to protect the Palestinians from the settlers' riots, sometimes respond to calls for help, but in practice they don't do much more than provide them with a report, and they are required to go and file a complaint in Kiryat Arba Settlemnt police station . Though the settlers' identities are known, they are !never arrested.
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