We went again to Sha’ab al-Butum to the Jabarin family, who have been suffering for the past few months from attacks and manipulations perpetrated on them by a new settler, Amihai Shilo, and the “veteran” people of Mitzpe Avigayil.

We bought basic necessities for a family who insists on rehabilitating their ruins and also rebuilding the residential buildings and the stairs going down to their “houses”. And also, to bring to life the vegetable garden from which come the stuffed zucchini and eggplants that Leila insisted on cooking and serving to us. Family, that means at least 3 households, parents, their sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren. About 15 people live here.

As soon as we arrived, we saw that they had made use of a truck for a new settler to live in (upgrading the residence). At night you see a light go on there, they told us. We also saw on another hill in front of them, where Amihai Shilo lived, another residential building was added. They built it a week ago. They tell us.

What we are seeing all these months and warning about is the deepening of the settlements, and the attempts to expel the Palestinian communities.

M. says that Amihai and his children come all the time and harass and drive around  at all hours of the day and night. Singing in Hebrew, dancing and taking pictures of the members of the Jabarin family, and cursing. They understand profanity in Arabic. Two days ago, three people came with their herd, one came riding a horse. They just tried to show ownership of the area. Then others came with a motorcycle and an ATV and showed a loud and violent presence. Everyone in the family is afraid that they will come to destroy and burn the pile of wood they accumulate for heating in the winter, a fire that will spread to everything there.

M. says that it is lucky that they have volunteers who sleep there. They feel that their presence deters the terrorists. They do not approach when they see the volunteers. When there are no volunteers, they try to enter the yard and the house, as they have done before. We were happy later to meet a young woman from the USA and a guy from Greece who are staying there now. The conversation with them was important.

They ask difficult questions about the country’s behaviour and what exactly our presence contributes there. It was important to make it clear to them that even the little we can do is important for all parties, especially for the Palestinians who are now really struggling to survive. The voice opposing the occupation must constantly be heard.

The father of the family adds and says that all the relatives who live in Yatta are afraid to come visit them because they have been traumatized by violent visits in the past. One night, settlers in IDF uniforms arrived and searched the house. The frightened guests hid in a side room, and have since refused to come. The settlers only left when the volunteers arrived, because it is forbidden to take the cameras from the foreigners as they can from the Palestinians.

Now only he and his wife and their sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren remained in the place. The volunteer forwarded to me videos in which the soldiers and the settlers are seen praying the evening prayer together. According to her, this was the first time she had seen such an event.