Testimonies

Nahlah Ahmad, mother of four

We have four children: Ayman, 12, Muhammad, 9, Malak, 7, and Zeina, 5. Three years ago, we moved into a new house in the southern part of the village. The house is about 500 meters from the houses of the Yizhar settlement, which was built on our village's land.

Since then, settlers from Yizhar have often attacked us and damaged our property.  The first time, in 2005, they stole the water pump from the well in our yard, threw stones at the house, and broke the lamp. They ran away only when I called our neighbors. They've done that nine times in all. We filed complaints with the Israeli liaison office, but it didn't help.

Since the first attack, the children have been afraid to go alone to the bathroom and aren't prepared to sleep alone. I worry about them. We're afraid to use the ground floor, even though it has bars on the windows, out of fear that settlers will fire bullets or tear gas into the house. In the evening, we can't sit in the yard because the children are afraid. Every time they hear a noise, they ask me: “Is that the settlers?” They constantly ask why we moved to the new house from the house we used to rent in the center of the village. Now we don't have money to pay rent, so we can't move.  

Yesterday [Friday, 16 May 2008], we were all at home. Around 5:30 P.M., my husband's brother, who lives in the center of the village, called and said settlers were near our house and that we shouldn't go outside until he and some other villagers arrived. Many other villagers also called to warn us. Whenever settlers make an incursion into the village to attack us, villagers come to help us. We're afraid because the settlers are always armed.

After a few minutes passed, we heard stones hit the roof and walls of our house. Then we heard whistling. The villagers usually whistle when settlers appear in the village, to warn each other. We also heard the voices of settlers. I called the Palestinian liaison office and asked them to send Israeli soldiers to remove the settlers.

I didn't know where to take the children. I was afraid that the settlers would shoot us through the window, and I told the children to sit in the corner of their room. My husband and I sat with them to calm them. We were very frightened, but hid our fear from the children. The children held onto us and wouldn't let us move away from them, even to bring water or go to the bathroom.

When soldiers didn't come, I called the Palestinian liaison office again. I saw four settlers throwing stones. They seemed to be about 15-20 years old and had long side curls. A few minutes after that, I saw five soldiers arrive on foot. They tried to move the settlers away, but the settlers ignored them. It seemed that the soldiers were treating them very gently, like spoiled children. I called the Palestinian liaison office to update them.

When I saw villagers come, I opened the door of the house and went outside. The settlers threw stones at them, and the villagers threw stones back. There were about 50 villagers, but there were more settlers - about 90 - and some of them were armed. The soldiers fired about 25 shots in the air and about ten tear-gas canisters. Some of the villagers had trouble breathing because of the tear-gas, so I gave them onions to ease their choking feeling. Around 6:30, a white jeep pulled up. It apparently belonged to the Israeli liaison office. The jeep stopped for a few minutes and then drove off. I didn't see anybody get out.

Later, I saw settlers attack the house of Ibrahim Makhluf, which is situated about 700 meters east of our house. The villagers headed in that direction. Then I saw settlers and soldiers open fire. Shots hit the walls of our house and our water tank, which began to leak. Later, I heard that Ibrahim's water tank had also been hit with gunfire. The settlers attacked the villagers and fired at them, despite the soldiers' presence.

Around 8:00, I saw a Border Police jeep drive up to Ibrahim's house. The settlers retreated but continued to throw stones at the villagers. One of them used a slingshot. The soldiers didn't help us. They watched, and it was clear that had come to protect the settlers and not us.

I did not file a complaint about this incident. The last time I filed a complaint to the Israeli authorities, two months ago, I felt it didn't interest them, and that they didn't want us to complain or follow-up on the complaints. I felt humiliated.

Nahlah Mahmoud 'Aref Ahmad, 33, married with four children, is a homemaker and a resident of 'Asira al-Qibliya in Nablus District. The testimony was given to Salma a-Deba'i at the witness's home on 17 May 2008.