From today's Haaretz:
The Hebron settlers were acting on the basis of a well-planned agenda, Israeli security officials told Ha'aretz. First, settler leaders "mark out" targets to be seized. Next, young Jewish activists use violence to remove Palestinian homeowners from their properties. Jewish youths then break into the Palestinian homes; though they might originally be removed by the IDF and policemen on the scene, the young people return to the homes, remove property owned by Palestinians and prepare them to be taken over by settlers.
One Israeli security source contends that "an ongoing procedure of evicting Palestinians" is afoot in Hebron. Its aim is to "enlarge the Jewish territory," the source says.
Jewish children and teenagers, the source says, are sent to initiate such "evictions," adding that the youngsters "start by cutting water pipes, tossing around goods or overturning market stalls; in the end, the Arab families flee."
During the past year, the source claims, a few Jewish families took up residence in Palestinian stores located in a market that abuts the settler enclave. The market was closed after the 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre perpetrated by Baruch Goldstein.
From B'Tselem:
On Saturday, June 8, 2002, settlers from Karme Zur were killed. A day or two later, the settlers started building a road south of the settlement. It’s four kilometers long. The road starts near Halhul and goes to Beit Umar. About 400 dunum of agricultural land owned by more than forty families from Halhul, including my own, were left between the settlement and the new road. As a result, the farmers can’t get to their lands and work them. The settlers chase the farmers, shoot in the air, threaten their lives, confiscate their ID cards and damage the crop. At first, the army saw what was happening and didn’t intervene Then, the soldiers, in cooperation with the settlers, started preventing farmers from reaching their lands. The soldiers claimed it was a military zone. They designated an area spanning 300 meters south east of the settlement fence. No one is allowed to go near the area or enter it.
On Friday, June 14, 2002, at 7:00 AM, I went with my brother, Ahmad, aged 47, and other farmers from Halhul to the lands to work. The settlement’s guards came and tried to drive us away. The army intervened, and we were allowed to work. At 11:00 AM, four people who said they were the settlement’s security men came to the land and started shooting in the air and harassing us. They had a knife and said they would stab us if we didn’t leave. They cut the ropes we had tied on the grapevines. My brother, Ahmad, was injured in the face and was taken to hospital for treatment. The settlers also pushed a woman named ‘Aziza Ahmad ‘Aqel, aged 55, off the donkey she was riding. Her leg was injured and she was taken to hospital. The army gave her and my brother first aid, near the army base, before they were taken to hospital.
That day, the army called the police. When the police officers arrived, they told us to file a complaint with the Kiryat Arba police the next day. We did so. Four days later, Israeli policemen arrived at the place to check it. We still haven’t got an answer. We try to get to our lands almost every day, because we can’t abandon the orchards, especially these days, when the grapevines require daily treatment. But, as soon as we get there, the settlers, the army, or both drive us away while threatening to kill or arrest us.
These are everyday occurances. Since 1967, 40% of the area of the West Bank has been confiscated by the Israeli government from it's Arab owners. More is being taken every day.
Obviously, it's all the Palestinians fault.
