Jean-Emile Jammine is pleased to welcome Eid Hathaleen, Palestinian artist, human rights activist and lifelong resident of the Bedouin village of Umm al-Kheir in Masafer Yatta, in the occupied West Bank. He describes for us the systematic normalisation of daily settler violence in the occupied West Bank. Drawing from personal loss and years of field research, he argues that what Palestinians in communities like his are experiencing is not random wanton violence, nor isolated confrontations, but what he describes as an organized structure of extreme intimidation designed to force out its inhabitants. Having lost members of his own family, having himself been interrogated by Israeli authorities, he takes us inside the mechanics of ruthless settler violence and relentless attacks, even targeting the most vulnerable, including children at school. He shares the daunting task of pursuing justice through a legal system he says routinely fails Palestinian communities, and the deeper political objective he believes underpins much of this violence: the forced displacement and expulsion of Palestinians from their land.
It’s heartbreaking to hear about Eid Hathaleen losing family members and still fighting for justice. The fact that even schoolchildren are targeted shows this is systematic, not random.
The article mentions the military supporting these settlers. How can Israel claim to uphold law and order when its own forces enable attacks on villages like Umm al-Kheir?
The fog of war makes it impossible to verify anything coming out of the region. (bd380c)
I question the claim that this is all about forced displacement. Could it be that some confrontations are indeed isolated, even if the pattern is troubling?
Eid Hathaleen’s description of the legal system failing Palestinians is spot on—I’ve read about cases where settlers get light sentences while Palestinians face harsh penalties for similar acts.
This ‘normalization of daily settler violence’ is frightening. If it’s truly organized with military backing, then it’s basically ethnic cleansing in broad daylight.
Displacement numbers are reaching crisis levels and it’s only getting worse. (b27d52)
The media coverage seems to sanitise what’s actually happening on the ground. (b70467)