On the Agenda

Every day and every night, soldiers may enter Palestinian homes. Such invasions of private space have long been an integral part of security forces’ operations in the West Bank. Palestinians know that soldiers may enter their homes at will, invade their bedrooms, wake their children and rummage through their belongings. For most of us, the home is a safe space. This is not so for Palestinians. Control, humiliation, and oppression penetrate their homes. In the coming days, we will present cases that occurred throughout November and October 2020. Read the first of them, in the village of Kobar, Ramallah district.

On Monday morning, 17 December 2020, Border Police and Special Patrol Unit forces entered Qalandiya Refugee Camp. About 10 officers entered one of the camp’s homes, attacking a 15-year-old, locking his family members in rooms, violently searching the house, and leaving as they arrested two sons. During clashes that broke out in the camp, police snipers opened wanton fire, injuring five. In this case, as in hundreds of others, no one will be held accountable for the violence meted against the family or the shooting.

Yesterday, another massive demolition at Khirbet Humsah; today, troops began extensive training among homes and fields of Masafer Yatta residents

For three weeks, four soldiers abused the residents of Silwad, a town northwest of Ramallah, on a daily basis. They set up checkpoints, searched cars coming and going, swore at residents and assaulted them. The soldiers roamed the town firing stun grenades and tear gas canisters and damaging vehicles. In one case, they shot and wounded a teenager. Their commanders did not intervene to stop the abuse. Years of experience show no one will be held accountable for this conduct, which serves the occupation regime and allows it to continue.

The entire area Israel controls between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea is governed by a single regime working to advance and perpetuate the supremacy of one group over another. By geographically, demographically and physically engineering space, the regime enables Jews to live in a contiguous area with full rights, including self-determination, while Palestinians live in separate units and enjoy fewer rights. This qualifies as an apartheid regime, although Israel is commonly viewed as a democracy upholding a temporary occupation.