Umm al-Kheir – soldiers remove the Palestinian flag under false pretenses

Umm Al-Kheir at the turn off road 317, immediately after you pass the Carmel settlement, at the junction with road 356.

As we passed by the caravans of the Carmel settlement near the entrance to the village, we saw two female soldiers coming out of one of them and sweeping the area in front of them. We were surprised, but it turns out that female soldiers are regularly guarding the entrance to the settlement and change every two weeks.

We met in Umm al Kheir with two residents of the village, who, because of the fear of the security forces, asked not to be identified.

They briefly told the history of the place: the Hathalin family belongs to the Jahalin Bedouin community. Before the establishment of the state, they lived around the area of Tel Arad. With the establishment of the state, they were expelled, like most of the Bedouin in the Negev, and today they are scattered throughout the region up to the Dead Sea (the residents of Khan al-Ahmar are also from the Jahalin tribe).

They say that since the establishment of the new right-wing government, there has been a worsening of the attitude to  them, and there is no limit to the harassment of the settlers. This part of the village lies right on the fence of Carmel. They asked the army and the DCO to replace the barbed wire fence that separates them from the settlement, because the barbed wire injures the sheep walking nearby, but they answered in the negative. The argument: no budget.

They say that a few days ago, four masked soldiers arrived, with the aim of taking down the Palestinian flag that was flying in the village. The soldiers said it was the flag of the Palestinian Authority (so far everything is true), and it should not be hoisted in this area, (Area C), because it is a territory that belongs to the State of Israel. Clarifying the issue of waving Palestinian flags with the UN representative in the territories revealed that as of January, a new law came into effect prohibiting the waving of Palestinian flags in Territory C. The reasoning - it's a flag that creates a mess and disturbs public order. In the meantime, they did not hang another flag, in order to maintain peace, especially for the benefit of the children who are frightened by the presence of the army.

From Umm al-Kheir you can see the illegal outpost, Havat Mann, established a few years ago by Yael and Issachar Mann , east of the Maon settlement, between Maon and Carmel. The farm is described online as Maon, a farm in the desert and a winery. Really idyllic! Before that, Issachar Mann lived in a Havat Maon (an illegal outpost), and was known for threats against the children of the village of Tuba, who pass by Havat Maon on their way to school in At- Tuwani, accompanied by the army (article in the Friday programs of channel 2, 2021). As said, the farm has a winery, and the farm's vineyards extend on both sides of highway 317. The farm's painted water tower is located near the road. Mekorot supplies that water.

The Yatta Palestinians, who own the land on which the winery was built, appealed to the court. They lost and were required to pay forty thousand shekels in court costs. Planting in the vineyard started immediately after Mann farm won.

On our way back we visited Fares at Zanuta. We met Abu Safi, who wanted to speak to us.