The villagers started to separate, going down the slopes to their family plots. We had planned to stay together for safety reasons, but the Palestinians moved ahead in this manner because they felt that this might be their last chance to visit their land.
We soon found out that we were encountering bands of armed settlers - total 16. And there was NO sign of any soldiers or police officers - no protection whatsoever. The planners of today's action had received direct assurances that there would be formal Israeli protection for this harvesting today. The assurances had been given by the local Israeli civil administration and by the commanding officer of the local IOF.
The group felt that we had been set up. The American Consulate in Jerusalem was immediately contacted, but it took them almost an hour before they made a substantial reply-saying that they had finally made calls to Israeli officials in the area. (Presumably they made such calls.)
The settlers were firing shots from different directions. We could see them firing their guns, running toward the Palestinians. They looked like an army-heavily armed with machine guns, pistols, and large knives, and carrying walkie-talkies. The internationals and Israeli peace activists descended quickly onto the scene and confronted the settlers. The settlers were firing shots over peoples' heads, pointing their guns at villagers and internationals, hurling
large pieces of rock-sometimes from only a few feet away. They were screaming at the Palestinians, pushing them, and generally terrorizing them. Some of them were pointing their guns at us, pushing us, shouting threats, like "I will kill you." (They seemed more angry at the Israeli activists than the internationals.)
We soon found out that we were encountering bands of armed settlers - total 16. And there was NO sign of any soldiers or police officers - no protection whatsoever. The planners of today's action had received direct assurances that there would be formal Israeli protection for this harvesting today. The assurances had been given by the local Israeli civil administration and by the commanding officer of the local IOF.
The group felt that we had been set up. The American Consulate in Jerusalem was immediately contacted, but it took them almost an hour before they made a substantial reply-saying that they had finally made calls to Israeli officials in the area. (Presumably they made such calls.)
The settlers were firing shots from different directions. We could see them firing their guns, running toward the Palestinians. They looked like an army-heavily armed with machine guns, pistols, and large knives, and carrying walkie-talkies. The internationals and Israeli peace activists descended quickly onto the scene and confronted the settlers. The settlers were firing shots over peoples' heads, pointing their guns at villagers and internationals, hurling
large pieces of rock-sometimes from only a few feet away. They were screaming at the Palestinians, pushing them, and generally terrorizing them. Some of them were pointing their guns at us, pushing us, shouting threats, like "I will kill you." (They seemed more angry at the Israeli activists than the internationals.)