In the seven months since the establishment of the new settlement in the a-Ras neighborhood of Hebron, West Bank, there has been a noticeable increase in attacks by settlers and Israeli security forces on the neighborhood's Palestinian residents .
The findings of researchers from B'Tselem and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel , published today, (Friday, 19 October) list dozens of cases in which settlers attacked Palestinians in the area. Settler attacks include beatings, destruction of property, throwing of stones and eggs, hurling of refuse, urinating from the settlement building onto the street, and verbal abuse. These acts often take place in the presence of security forces, who fail to take sufficient action to stop the attacks and enforce the law. At times, they do nothing. This negligence is similar to that demonstrated by Israeli security forces' in handling settler attacks around the settlements in Hebron 's city center.
Following establishment of the new settlement, Israel increased the presence of security forces in the area, which increased the abuse and violence by soldiers and Border Police officers against Palestinian residents. B'Tselem and ACRI have documented beatings, firing of blanks and threats of gunfire, property damage, blocking of passage, swearing, and racist comments by security forces. Although the army has contended that the establishment of the new settlement did not bring with it further restrictions on Palestinian movement, in fact Palestinians' movement in the neighborhood has been curtailed over the past seven months, and many are repeatedly delayed at a new checkpoint that was set up near the settlement. Also, the army now forbids Palestinians to use a nearby path.
In other areas of Hebron where settlements have been established, comparable harm has forced many Palestinians to abandon their homes and businesses. ACRI and B'Tselem expressed their concern that in the case of the new settlement as well, many Palestinians will be left no choice but to abandon the neighborhood. The organizations made clear that Israel is obligated to immediately remove the settlers from the building, regardless of whether they purchased it or not .
