Settler Violence in Palestine
Perhaps nothing better symbolizes the Palestinian commitment to hold fast to the land than the olive tree. Its ancient roots and strong foundation a metaphor for the Palestinians’ unbroken presence and resilience. And for Israeli settlers guided by the fervent belief that Palestinians are squatters on land ordained by God for the Jewish people, the olive tree is a prime target. [1] According to a report on settler violence by The Palestine Center, “the period of the olive harvest annually brings a peak in violent settler activity.” [2] While the report notes that “the presence of Palestinian civilians in olive groves…is the main reason why this occurs,” the fact that a ruined harvest would economically devastate a family and may compel them to relocate is not lost on covetous settlers. [3] At the start of the recent harvest season, settlers from the religious-nationalist settlement of Yitzhar set on fire 100 olive trees near the city of Nablus on 22 October 2014. [4] “Over 7,500 olive trees belonging to Palestinians were damaged or destroyed by Israeli settlers between January and mid October 2012,” reports the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. [5] “If the Olive Trees knew the hands that planted them, Their Oil would become Tears,” is a solemn saying attributed to the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
Settler violence is not confined to the groves. In one of the most infamous acts of violence, American-born settler Baruch Goldstein entered Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque on 25 February 1994 and opened fire on worshippers. All told, 29 Palestinians were killed, 125 were wounded, and Goldstein was tackled and beaten to death. [6] While most Israeli settlers are lured by the promise of subsidized housing (incentivized by their own state into law-breaking; all settlements are illegal under international law, a consensus disputed solely by Israel), a large faction of the over 500,000 settlers are messianic religious-nationalists animated by an unassailable dogma that the land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea is the exclusive preserve of the Jewish people. [7] Many settlers are willing to employ violence to advance this world view. From 2007 to 2011, there was a 315% increase in settler violence against Palestinians (over the same period there was a 95% decrease in Palestinian violence in the West Bank). [8] Settler violence may fluctuate, but is “structural and symptomatic of occupation” and 90% of Palestinians villages under Israeli security jurisdiction in the West Bank have suffered recurring acts of settler violence. [9]
Source: www.palestine-studies.org