AT-TUWANI REFLECTION: This is not Israel
March 8th, 2008
in:
CPTnet
8 March 2008
AT-TUWANI REFLECTION: This is not Israel
by Art Gish
Israeli military policy became clear to me out in the mountains south of
Hebron as I was accompanying shepherds grazing their sheep on their own
land. Israeli settlers have been threatening the shepherds and demanding
that Israeli soldiers remove the shepherds from the area around the
settlements. Sometimes the settlers have been carrying clubs. On 12
January, settlers fired six shots to frighten the shepherds.
The responses of the soldiers have been inconsistent. Sometimes they drive
the shepherds away, sometimes they do nothing, and sometimes say the
shepherds can be there.
On Sunday, 27 January, Israeli soldiers approached us and announced that the
shepherds could not be anywhere in that area, demanding that everyone leave
the area immediately. The reason, the soldiers said, was that it is not
safe for the settlers if Palestinians are anywhere where they can see the
settlements. That means a huge area of land is off limits for the
Palestinian shepherds.
We reminded the soldiers that the Israeli High Court has ruled that the
shepherds may graze their sheep on that land. We suggested they follow the
laws of Israel instead of taking orders the settlers. Furthermore, we
pointed out to the soldiers, we were on Palestinian land. A soldier quickly
informed us that the land did not belong to Palestinians. "This is Israel,"
he said. I told the soldier, "This is not Israel; this is Palestinian
territory. Even President George Bush recognizes that this is Palestinian
territory, not Israel."
We told the soldiers, "There will never be peace here as long as you claim
everything to be Israel, as long as you intend to steal all this land from
the Palestinians. The real reason for not allowing these shepherds to be on
their own land is that you are helping the settlers to steal this land."
"You do not need to protect these settlers," we reminded them. It is those
settlers who continually are attacking these shepherds, and even attacking
little school children. Repeatedly soldiers have stood by and watched as
settlers have attacked Palestinians. The question is, do you want peace, or
do you want to take this land?"
8 March 2008
AT-TUWANI REFLECTION: This is not Israel
by Art Gish
Israeli military policy became clear to me out in the mountains south of
Hebron as I was accompanying shepherds grazing their sheep on their own
land. Israeli settlers have been threatening the shepherds and demanding
that Israeli soldiers remove the shepherds from the area around the
settlements. Sometimes the settlers have been carrying clubs. On 12
January, settlers fired six shots to frighten the shepherds.
The responses of the soldiers have been inconsistent. Sometimes they drive
the shepherds away, sometimes they do nothing, and sometimes say the
shepherds can be there.
On Sunday, 27 January, Israeli soldiers approached us and announced that the
shepherds could not be anywhere in that area, demanding that everyone leave
the area immediately. The reason, the soldiers said, was that it is not
safe for the settlers if Palestinians are anywhere where they can see the
settlements. That means a huge area of land is off limits for the
Palestinian shepherds.
We reminded the soldiers that the Israeli High Court has ruled that the
shepherds may graze their sheep on that land. We suggested they follow the
laws of Israel instead of taking orders the settlers. Furthermore, we
pointed out to the soldiers, we were on Palestinian land. A soldier quickly
informed us that the land did not belong to Palestinians. "This is Israel,"
he said. I told the soldier, "This is not Israel; this is Palestinian
territory. Even President George Bush recognizes that this is Palestinian
territory, not Israel."
We told the soldiers, "There will never be peace here as long as you claim
everything to be Israel, as long as you intend to steal all this land from
the Palestinians. The real reason for not allowing these shepherds to be on
their own land is that you are helping the settlers to steal this land."
"You do not need to protect these settlers," we reminded them. It is those
settlers who continually are attacking these shepherds, and even attacking
little school children. Repeatedly soldiers have stood by and watched as
settlers have attacked Palestinians. The question is, do you want peace, or
do you want to take this land?"
