Simiya: Settlers, police and army cooperate, harassing Palestinian shepherds and farmers
Meitar Checkpoint – rather deserted, as usual since war began. Nearly no Palestinian workers going to work in Israel. Hunger and want grow from day to day.
We continued driving on Road 60 toward Simiya.
After the rains, the landscape is green and pastoral, as though nothing evil is taking place here.
On the way from Eshtamoa to Samu’a we saw a new settler tent raised not long ago on a hill to the right side of the road. Even an access trail has already been made for them from the main road to the tent itself.
We met M. at F.’s. He told us about their harsh reality vis-à-vis the settlers residing the new tent. M. has lived here for 30 years with his children and sheep flocks. Not long ago the outpost settlers came to steal sheep. M.’s older sons who watched over the flock called the police. Soldiers accompanied by armed settlers came. Then more soldiers while the policemen remained on the main road.
The absurd result: instead of arresting the thieves, the police arrested M.’s grandson and two more children. The three were taken to the police station and from there to Ofer Prison, where they were held for about a week. This is the familiar procedure: those who complain are arrested.
They were tried for throwing stones at the settlers (who had come to steal). The father had to release them at a very steep bail. In spite of the police instructing the settlers not to approach M.’s compound (privately-owned Palestinian area), they are not impressed and return there every time the police van leaves. They come daily with their flocks and place them on M.’s wheat and other fields, finishing them off completely.
He has already pressed charges, the police chased them away, but there are four of them and they come every single day… He summons the police every day, but is told to come to the Kiryat Arba settlement police station – not a practical choice for him.
Some of the family members have already left and moved to Simiya, to another area they own.
In the summer the settlers came on ATVs, rode around his area on crops, made noise and scared the people…
Now they come with their sheep and eat up the crops.
Most of these settlers are adolescents.
About 20 days ago they vandalized M.’s vehicle, putting sand and sugar in his gas tank, and cutting cables.
He and the rest of the villagers cannot graze their sheep because they are immediately attacked and chased away.
During the weekend M.’s children and grandchildren are there, at his place. During the week they are in Samu’a, with their parents, going to school.
Even private cars are endangered!
People drive through Simiya in order to get home. Soldiers stop them, take their car keys, just as they did lately to 5 drivers, returning them only at 2 a.m.!
The soldiers claim that this is an illegal track, and even often closed.
No limits to harassment, always something new…
Location Description
Meitar checkpoint / Sansana
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Meitar Checkpoint / Sansana The checkpoint is located on the Green Line and serves as a border crossing between Israel and the West Bank. It is managed by the Border Crossing Authority of the Defense Ministry. It is comprised of sections for the transfer of goods as well as a vehicle checkpoint (intended for holders of blue identity cards, foreign nationals or diplomats and international organizations). Passing of Palestinians is prohibited, except for those with entry permits to Israel. Palestinians are permitted to cross on foot only. The crossing has a DCO / DCL / DCL / DCL (District Coordination Office), a customs unit, supervision, and a police unit. In the last year, a breach has been opened in the fence, not far from the crossing. This breach is known to all, including the army. There does not appear to be any interest in blocking it, probably as it permits needed Palestinian workers without the bureaucratic permits to get to work in Israel. Food stalls and a parking area economy have been created, but incidents of violent abuse by border police have also been recorded. Updated April 2022
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South Hebron Hills
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South Hebron Hills
South Hebron Hills is a large area in the West Bank's southern part.
Yatta is a major city in this area: right in the border zone between the fertile region of Hebron and its surroundings and the desert of the Hebron Hills. Yatta has about 64,000 inhabitants.
The surrounding villages are called Masafer Yatta (Yatta's daughter villages). Their inhabitants subsist on livestock and agriculture. Agriculture is possible only in small plots, especially near streams. Most of the area consists of rocky terraces.Since the beginning of the 1980s, many settlements have been established on the agricultural land cultivated by the Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills region: Carmel, Maon, Susia, Masadot Yehuda, Othniel, and more. Since the settlements were established and Palestinians cultivation areas have been reduced; the residents of the South Hebron Hills have been suffering from harassment by the settlers. Attempts to evict and demolish houses have continued, along with withholding water and electricity. The military and police usually refrain from intervening in violent incidents between settlers and Palestinians do not enforce the law when it comes to the investigation of extensive violent Jewish settlers. The harassment in the South Hebron Hills includes attacking and attempting to burn residential tents, harassing dogs, harming herds, and preventing access to pastures.
There are several checkpoints in the South Hebron Hills, on Routes 317 and 60. In most of them, no military presence is apparent, but rather an array of pillboxes monitor the villages. Roadblocks are frequently set up according to the settlers and the army's needs. These are located at the Zif Junction, the Dura-al Fawwar crossing, and the Sheep Junction at the southern entrance to Hebron.
Updated April 2022
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