Joseph Dana writes:
Over the last several months, Israeli and international activists have made the small West Bank village of Safa a focus of the struggle for the rule of law in the occupied territories. The village is situated next to the settlement of Bat Ayin, which was the scene of a horrific murder of a twelve-year-old boy by a mentally disturbed resident of Safa in April 2009. In the wake of that crime–and now growing US pressure on Israel regarding settlements–Bat Ayin settlement has become increasingly violent towards its neighbors in Safa. This violence has been characterized by the burning and cutting down of Palestinian groves, severe beatings of Safa residents and activists and, just last week, the harassment of farmers and activists who attempt to work the land.
Safa residents depend on grape and olive trees that are located in a deep gorge between their village and Bat Ayin. The settlers often descend into the gorge and rampage through the farmlands as the IDF and police look on, doing nothing to stop it during or after the act. In 2006, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled in a landmark case that the IDF must do whatever possible to allow Palestinians access to their land and protection while they farm –which primarily means restraining settlers when need be. Israeli and international activists have been accompanying Palestinians to the farmlands over the past few months to ensure they can do their work safely, but we are consistently attacked by settlers, removed with excessive force by the IDF and often arrested.
Today, 27 June 2009, the IDF and Israel Border Police created a blockade at the entrance of the farmlands. As soon as we arrived, the IDF began using violent force against the forty to fifty Israelis, Palestinians and international activists on the ground. As we walked into the area, pleading with the army to allow us entry, we were beaten, thrown to the ground, attacked and insulted. We demanded to see legal authority for such actions. That only came later after we had been ‘removed’ from the area. Many of us suffered bruises and injuries, including an 18-year-old Israeli female whose arm was sprained and a Palestinian man who reportedly had his leg broken.
The IDF arrested 30 Israelis for violating a "closed military zone" order that, according to the 2006 Supreme Court ruling, cannot be used simply to prevent farming in Safa. The activists were detained for three hours and then released without being charged with any offense.
The events today in Safa are a major escalation in the IDF policy to intimidate and attack Israeli and international peace activists who wish to help Palestinian farmers maintain their livelihood, even as the IDF does nothing to restrain the settlers. No matter how much the state may sympathize with the settlers and feel the need to protect them, it must not allow this vigilante behavior to continue, as it only propagates the cycle of violence.
The video above is a visual record of the brutality we experienced today and of the army’s complete disregard for the laws of the State of Israel, the rights of its citizens, and basic moral conduct.
