Imnaizel – settlers take over Palestinian family’s land by force

The purpose of the shift: a report from Imnaizel about the harassment and invasion of settlers from the Talia Farm, Susiya and Mitzpe Yair. East of Yatir and south of Susiya.

The village of Imnaizel is located southeast of Samu’, across road 317, near the Talia farm.

We met Jihad Mor Abu Sabah and his son Muhammad, residents of Imnaizel. We arrived following an article by Gideon Levi in the newspaper Haaretz. Since the establishment of the Talia farm in 1996, there have been daily incursions into Palestinian territories throughout the area. Jihad says the settlers have ruined their lives.

This last case took place on the last holiday, Eid al-Adha. And this we heard from the mouth of Jihad:

  Muhammad, Jihad's son, went out with the family flock to the pasture on their land where the well of water also is, from which the sheep drink. Neighbours of the Abu Sabah family called and said that about eight settlers had set up a tent near the well, on the family's property. The settlers were from the Talia Farm and the settlements Susiya and Mitzpe Yair. Each of them was armed with a long rifle. Jihad with other residents of Imnaizel, from five different tribes, called the police. Police officers from the Kiryat Arba police arrived after a while but did nothing. They said they had to wait for the army to sort things out. The settlers began to approach Muhammad, and Jihad asked the police to help protect his son, but they refused. Jihad appealed to the settlers and asked them not to curse and taunt the young residents of Imnaizel, and to allow the police and the army to handle the incident. But this also did not help! The settlers approached, threw stones and all this with weapons at the ready. A large stone hit a member of the Rashid family. He was rushed to Soroka Hospital and hospitalized for two days. Now he is at home with broken ribs. The army and the police tried to separate them, but Bezalel Talia started beating the people of Imnaizel. Jihad's flock fled towards Susiya, in search of water. Yusuf and Muhammad, Jihad's sons, ran after the herd, and Bezalel Talia chased after them and began to beat them.

The end of the story: As usual, the army arrested Yusuf and Muhammad and two more of their brothers. The four were placed under arrest in Etzion. They had to pay twenty thousand shekels as bail and were released with the help of a lawyer. All four of them had their phones confiscated. All the boys, who normally work in Israel, are now sitting at home because of this event.