B'Tselem: The Israeli occupation forces and Shin Bet support settler violence

The Israeli human rights organization, B'Tselem, confirmed that settler violence is part of an Israeli government policy that permits and participates in it, as part of its efforts to expand and complete the process of appropriating Palestinian lands and consolidate the apartheid policy.

In its report, the organization clarified that the violence of the occupation, both official and unofficial, is "an integral part of the Israeli apartheid regime, which seeks to Judaize the place, the entire area extending between the river and the sea, which the Israeli system considers as the land that was found mainly to serve the Jews."

The organization added, "Therefore, the land is allocated almost exclusively to the needs of the Jewish settlements in terms of developing, expanding and establishing new Jewish towns, and in parallel, this system works on the fragmentation of the Palestinian lands and pushes them into cramped and overcrowded small areas."

B'Tselem documented many violations and crimes committed by Israeli settlers during the first half of 2022, in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, the latest of which was the attack on farmers in the Jordan Valley, Palestinian families being stoned and threatened by settlers in Hebron in front of the occupation soldiers who did not make any move to prevent these violations..

The organization explained that the Israeli apartheid system is based on organized and systematic violence against the Palestinians, and is implemented by the government, the army, the Civil Administration, the Supreme Court, the police, the Shin Bet security service, the Prisons Authority, the Nature and Parks Authority, and others.

The organization added that "the settlers constitute an additional factor in this system run by the state, which uses the violence of settlers, in addition to the violence of its official agencies, to achieve its goals."

The B'Tselem report documented a series of attacks that took place in Hebron last Wednesday, through the settlement outpost called "Beit Hadassah", which is one of 8 outposts established by the occupation authorities in the center of the city crowded with Palestinians, in an attempt to divide and isolate parts of the Old City.

The organization stressed that the occupation authorities are applying a racial system that separates settlers and Palestinians, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinians and practicing violence against them in its strongest forms.

The organization said that "the Israeli army gives the settlers the green light to practice their daily violence against the neighboring Palestinians, disturbing their lives and impeding all economic and social activities in these areas where the army and settlers are deployed together."

The organization documented, through video, stone attacks on Palestinian homes, and explained that the occupation soldiers, who are always present at observation points they set up on the roof of a building adjacent to the settlement, allowed the settlers to practice violence, and fired tear gas and stun grenades at the Palestinians, who responded to the settlers’ stones and their provocations.

The organization added: "In one of the attacks, which was documented by video, one of the occupation soldiers opened fire in the air to frighten Palestinian youth, while a settler took cover behind the soldier and started throwing stones at the Palestinian young men."

The organization pointed out that "settlers violence includes beatings, throwing stones, threatening, burning fields, destroying trees and crops, stealing fruits, targeting homes, vandalizing cars, closing roads, shooting, and in rare cases killing as well."

B'Tselem confirmed that the Israeli army refrains from engaging in confrontations with the aggressor settlers, even though it has the legal authority to stop and arrest them, and that it is its duty to do so.”

The organization added that the occupation forces allow settlers to harm Palestinians and their property, and they prefer to remove Palestinians from their agricultural lands or pastures, instead of stopping settlers’ provocations and violations.

The organization continued, "The Israeli forces declare the site a closed military area, which is applied against Palestinians only, or use tear gas canisters, stun grenades, rubber-coated metal bullets, and even live bullets."

The organization added that sometimes the soldiers themselves participate in the attacks launched by the settlers against the Palestinians, or stand by and watch without interfering to stop the settlers' attacks.