Jewish Settlers Uproot Olive Trees near Hebron

Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities. (Photo: via Social Media)

December 24, 2020

Jewish settlers Thursday uprooted dozens of olive trees in the locality of At-Tuwani, near the West Bank city of Hebron (Al-Khalil), according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Coordinator of the Anti-Wall and Settlement Committees Rateb Jbour said that a group of Jewish settlers from the illegal settlement of Maon uprooted and stole some 35 olive trees belonging to the al-Arini family in the locality, east of Yatta town.

At-Tuwani 14 kilometers south of Hebron, At-Tuwani locality consists of two hamlets, and together with Masafer Yatta, a collection of almost 19 hamlets, cover 37,500 dunums, and rely heavily on animal husbandry as the main source of livelihood.

Located in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli administrative and military control, the area has been subjected to repeated Israeli violations by settlers and soldiers targeting their main source of living – livestock.

The destruction of Palestinian olive trees by Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers has become routine in recent years.

Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.

“Jewish settler violence should not be analyzed separately from the violence meted out by the Israeli army, but seen within the larger context of the violent Zionist ideology that governs Israeli society entirely,” wrote Palestinian author and editor of The Palestine Chronicle, Ramzy Baroud.

“Settler violence has long since become part of Palestinians’ daily life under occupation,” according to the Human Rights Group B’tselem. “Israeli security forces enable these actions, which result in Palestinian casualties – injuries and fatalities – as well as damage to land and property. In some cases, they even serve as an armed escort, or even join in the attacks”.

Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.