Mahmoud Abu Sabhah (22), is a shepherd from Khirbet Emneizal in the South Hebron Hills. On Monday morning, 1 June 2020, he set out to graze his family’s flock, about 200 sheep, on pastureland the family owns near Khirbet a-Tawamin, where they used to live. The land lies about a kilometer and a half from Khirbet Emneizal, and the settlement of Susiya was established in 1983 near it.
At the pastureland, Abu Sabhah met another resident of Emneizal, Sadam Rashid (13), who was there grazing his family’s flock. At around 9:00 A.M., the two decided to lead their flocks to an adjacent hill. Rashid made his way there and Abu Sabhah stayed behind to water his flock from a well on the land.
Suddenly, a drone appeared overhead. It flew low over the sheep and they scattered in alarm. After about ten minutes, the drone moved away and two settlers appeared on an ATV. The driver, whom Abu Sabhah knows by the name Yaakov, drove towards him at high speed and chased him as he tried to escape.
In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Musa Abu Hashhash, Abu Sabhah related how the settlers chased and threatened him with a gun, a knife and a dog:
I ran towards an area with big boulders, which is difficult to cross with an ATV. I tried to call the Israel Police. When the settlers saw me take out the phone, they got off the ATV and ran towards me. Yaakov grabbed me, took out his gun and threatened to shoot me if I tried to call the police. The other settler took out a knife and kicked my leg, while threatening me with a dog he had on a rope. Then the setters went over to my sheep and tried to lead them towards the settlement.
Rashid, who saw what was happening from a nearby hilltop, phoned his relatives for help.
In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Musa Abu Hashhash, Rashid described the assault he witnessed:
From where I was standing, I saw a small drone flying near Mahmoud and his sheep. I saw the sheep run away and scatter in different directions. I assumed it was settlers from Susiya flying the drone. I was watching what was happening, and then I saw an ATV driving fast towards Mahmoud. I saw him running away from it. I called my cousin in Khirbet Emneizal. I told him that a group of settlers was attacking Mahmoud and asked that people come to help him. Suddenly, the ATV stopped. Two settlers and a dog got out and approached Mahmoud. I was terrified they would attack him and started heading towards them.
At that point, Abu Sabhah called the Israel Police. After a few minutes, three soldiers arrived on foot. They led Abu Sabhah to the nearby Bet Yatir/al-Asaifer checkpoint, near the entrance to Khirbet Emneizal. There were several police patrol cars, a Civil Administration vehicle and military jeeps at the checkpoint. A police officer ordered Abu Sabhah to get into a patrol car, which drove him to the police station in the settlement of Kiryat Arba.
Meanwhile, Abu Sabhah’s father gathered the sheep that had scattered across the fields after the settlers left the area.
At the police station, Abu Sabhah had to wait for three hours. When he was finally interrogated, he was accused of falsely complaining that a settler had shot him. Abu Sabhah explained to the interrogator that he had reported to the police that a settler had threatened him at gunpoint to shoot him if he called the police. The interrogator informed him that he was under arrest and demanded that his family pay 500 NIS (~145 USD) bail to release him.
Abu Sabhah’s father deposited the bail. Abu Sabhah was released after having to commit to appear in court in November for a hearing in his case.