Ein Samia: It is not so pleasant to see a destroyed kindergarten
“It isn't very nice to see a kindergarten closed”, sing Israeli children in the afternoon, knowing that tomorrow it will be opened, served to them on a silver platter. But seeing a school closed, its tables trashed, its windows smashed, the board still showing the third- grade class subject and a childish drawing of a bulldozer… the same bulldozer that demolished the child’s house time and again… That’s a fist punch in the belly.
The bulldozer that our prettified “democratic” state sends again and again to demolish his home, that backs up terrorists who take over hill after hill and encourages them to harass miserable Bedouins, living here for over 40 years…
Ein Samiya – its villagers originate from Beer Sheva, from which they were expelled in 1948. Since that time, they wandered throughout the West Bank – the South Hebron Hills, around Ramallah, Khan Al Ahmar, until in 1958 they here and erected their tents. The entire area was completely empty. I look around me and it is still empty, but not completely/. Small, white structures overlook every hill. The rest is empty. Vast spaces that could suffice for everyone and for many others, to live here without running into each other. But the long side-burn Israeli terrorists want it all. Eretz Israel was given them by Providence and in return they must expel anyone who is not Jewish. There is no limit to their greediness, nor have they any mercy.
The 270 inhabitants of Ein Samiya suffered for years from the Israeli army’s tough hand, demolishing their homes and forbidding the use of the vast eastern side while claiming it as a firing zone. But they did not give up and held on to the land, mainly because they never had another choice. Now the dozens of illegal colonist outposts that popped up around them broke their back. Daily violence, stolen flocks and blocked roads, in addition to water denial and demolition orders for the schoolhouse – these were the last straw. Two weeks ago they folded their tents and loaded their meager belongings onto trucks, moving to larger villages where they hope to be more sheltered.
Ein Samiya is not alone. About half a year ago, villagers of Wad Al Sik were expelled, and a year ago the villagers of Ras A Tin left following violent attacks by colonists backed up by soldiers. These, encourage by their own successes, have increased their violence and no one is there to stop them.
Forced expulsion is ethnic cleansing. And that is a war crime! Its perpetrator is the “democracy” which the new protest wishes to preserve.
Before our visit to Ein Samiya, we visited Ma’arajat, a Bedouin community in the southern part of the Palestinian Jordan Valley. There we met a tiny young woman, 20-years-old, very impressive looking. This is Aliya, daughter of Abu Suliman, who went to school up to the 6th grade and then continued on her own using the computer and the internet. She matriculated and now runs all the family ties with Jordan Valley activists. In her spare time, she writes political-national poetry, is very aware of her people’s national struggle. She says the terrorists from the nearby outposts – Mevo’ot Yericho, Neriya Ben Pazi and Rimonim come nearly every day, chase away the shepherds and break into village homes. Unbridled Jewish terrorism. The permanent presence of the Jordan Valley activists, who have erected a center of their own in nearby Auja, has lowered the violence somewhat but there are still not enough activists to provide protection 24/7.
Kaboun: after seeing the ruins of Ein Samiya we drove to Kaboun, east of the Kochav Hashachar quarries. Two years ago, two large communities were living there. The army demolished both in summer 2021, and since then the villagers wandered to the north-east, and Ras a-Tin villagers climbed a more southerly hill. Near Kochav HaShachar illegal and very violent outposts have been erected – Kochav HaShachar East, Maoz Esther, Ma’ale Shlomo, Micha’s Ranch, Micha’s New Ranch, Ahavat Chayim, and worst of all – Mal’achei HaShalom (Angels of Peace) and some others as yet unnamed. Some of these “outposts” are but a lone caravan with a single adult and some hills youths, thrown out of their homes for their craziness.
The terrorists have begun to terrorize Ein Samiya, Ras A Tin, Kaboun, and Ein Rashash. They destroyed entire tended fields, grazing their flocks there. The villagers have had enough. A year ago, Ras A Tin villagers left their village, after a most violent attack in which one woman was badly hurt and two of her sons were arrested for trying to defend her. Now Ein Samiya villagers broke, and Kaboun villagers are speaking of leaving, since the violent outpost Mal’achei HaShalom is paving a rock track directly to their encampment, and another outpost has been set up on the hill overhead.
All these tracks and outposts are illegal. The army has issued ‘work cessation’ edicts but does nothing against this systematic violation or their violence, and eventually the State of Israel approves the existing outposts after the fact, for “this is their home, and a Jew is not expelled from his home”. After all, the outposts carry out the policy of Israel’s colonialist government that does everything to take over the entire area between the river and the sea but cannot carry out the transfer of Palestinians directly for fear of the world’s objections. So, it sends these terrorists to do its dirty work while it backs them up and finances them.
The State declares that it condemns the hill youth’s violent attacks, while in actual fact it supports them – in spite of their involvement in countless tough raids, pogroms, not a single one of them has been arrested. If arrested, he is immediately released. For this is the official policy – harass Palestinians until they dare resist and then Israel takes over by erecting an outpost (“illegal”) that will eventually receive state recognition.
We also visited the Fasail springs this morning. We saw two flocks grazing on the dry stones below, and another two flocks near Road 90, risking being run over. Our talk with the shepherds confirmed that which everyone knows – the colonist Elhanan from Mal’achei HaShalom and his buddies come down on ATVs to the Palestinians’ grazing grounds and violently chase them away, including running over sheep and goats. Their situation is desperate. There is no grass at all below, and the purchased barley is terribly expensive. Fasail is a shepherds’ village, and they have been dispossesed of their livelihood. Moreover, the water pipe that had watered the flocks for years has now been closed off by the colonists. It’s an openly illegal act. We also discovered that the nature reserve is blocked by a gate. We can’t understand why – obviously no cars enter here.
From there we proceeded to Fadel, north of Hamra colony. He and his brother Montathar suffer from the criminal Moshe Sharvit and his outlaw friends who attack them, and chase away their flocks on a daily basis. We accompany them daily, and when he has no accompaniers, he dares not come out to graze. For lack of money to buy feed, the sheep and goats are fed tomato bushes that have already been picked.
Finishing up a long day, and in order to be somewhat encouraged, we entered M.’s blooming farm. He grows grass that grows tall very fast and is great feed for the entire flock.