Act Now To Stop The Violence In Masafer Yatta

November 1, 2023 –
From Popular Resistance

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Above photo: Safa Muhammed Aba al-Najjar, left, and Yusara al-Najjar sit on a bed frame in front of what used to be their house in the West Bank, before it was demolished by the Israeli army on May 11, 2022. Steve Hendrix/The Washington Post.

Urgent Call to Action Targeting Embassies of Ireland, UK, Belgium and Mexico.

We ask people around the world to pressure the governments of UK, Ireland, Belgium and Mexico to take immediate action to stop the attacks happening in Masafer Yatta.

A group of human rights defenders from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), citizens from the above countries, are currently in villages of Masafer Yatta, South Hebron Hills, in solidarity with communities who are facing immediate threats to their lives and of displacement.

Israeli settlers and soldiers have taken advantage of the state of emergency during the current Israeli onslaught in Gaza to escalate their violence and displacement of Palestinians in the southern region of the West Bank. Armed settlers and soldiers have attacked villages of Masafer Yatta daily in recent weeks, physically assaulting inhabitants, including women, children and the elderly, destroying Palestinian property and taking over land.

Most recently, Israeli settlers and Israeli soldiers have been threatening to kill the people of the village of Susya unless they accept to leave their ancestral land. Two days ago, a similar threat to the residents of the village of Khirbet Zanuta resulted in the Palestinians from the village abandoning their land, knowing they had no protection against the armed settlers and the army. Just last night, a house belonging to an elderly woman was torched by armed settlers in the village of Sfay.

There is no doubt that the raids will intensify in future days, and settlers will likely place another outpost in the area. ISMers are standing in solidarity with Palestinian communities and will continue to do so no matter the threats they are facing.

We ask you to get in touch with the embassies of the UK, Ireland, Belgium and Mexico, especially if you are a citizen of those countries, to demand that they put pressure on Israeli authorities to stop the violence against Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta and ISM activists.

Template emails for each embassy are provided below.

Contact the embassies at the following numbers and email addresses:

Irish embassy

Sonya McGuinness – ambassador

+972-3-6964166

link to send an email https://www.ireland.ie/en/israel/telaviv/contact/#emergency

Duty Officer at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland at +353 1 408 2000

[email protected]

Belgian embassy

Jean-Luc Bodson – ambassador

+972 544 679 536

[email protected]

British embassy

Simon Walters – British Ambassador to Israel

+972 (0)3 725 1222 or +972 (0)2 541 4100

+44 1767 667 600

If you are in the UK and concerned about a friend or family member who is in Israel or the OPTs call FCDO on 0176 766 7600.

[email protected]

Mexican embassy

Mauricio Escanero – ambassador

[email protected]

(+972) 03-516-3938

Email for UK Embassy ([email protected])

Object: Urgent: Escalating Violence in Masafer Yatta, Request for Immediate Intervention to protect UK citizens and Palestinians.

Dear Ambassador Simon Walters,

I am writing to bring to your attention a matter of utmost urgency regarding a deeply concerning situation in the region of Masafer Yatta, in the South Hebron Hills. In recent days, the situation in this area has deteriorated significantly, with a growing number of attacks by armed Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities in the area. Just yesterday, settlers and Israeli army soldiers invaded the town of Susiya, in Masafer Yatta, and threatened the Palestinian residents that if they did not leave the area within 24 hours, they would come back and kill them.

In a similar incident, armed settlers threatened the Palestinian residents of Khirbet Zanuta, telling them that if they did not abandon their village “ we will do to you what we are doing in Gaza”. Israeli settlers have also torched a house of an elderly woman in the village of Sfay, destroyed property and robbed livestock in the villages of Tuba, Tuwani, Susyia, Umm al-Khair and many others.

In the past three weeks, Israeli settlers have shot a Palestinian man at point blank range, physically assaulted countless others, including at least one 16-year-old girl and two elderly men.

It has come to our attention that UK, Mexican, Belgian and Irish nationals are currently in Masafer Yatta working as solidarity activists to document and raise awareness of human rights violations in the area. These activists have already received death threats, and have been verbally and physically assaulted by Israeli settlers and soldiers, who have fired live ammunition towards them on various occasions during the past few days. The individuals involved in this important work are at immediate risk, and it is your institutional and moral duty to ensure their safety, as well as that of the local Palestinian population.

I want to be clear: the violence in Masafer Yatta has escalated to a point where it poses an immediate threat to the lives and well-being of those in the region, including foreigners. We urgently request that the UK Embassy in Israel puts immediate pressure on Israeli authorities to take necessary measures to de-escalate the violence by Israeli settlers and the army, prevent further harm to Palestinians and our nationals, and ensure that human rights are upheld in accordance with international law.

We demand that you act immediately in this direction. The lives and well-being of our connationals and countless Palestinian civilians are quite literally in your hands. A failure to act on your side could possibly mean that significant harm will be inflicted on innocent lives.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Email for Irish Embassy (https://www.ireland.ie/en/israel/telaviv/contact/#emergency)

Object: Urgent: Escalating Violence in Masafer Yatta, Request for Immediate Intervention to protect Irish citizens and Palestinians.

Dear Ambassador Sonya McGuinness,

In the past three weeks, Israeli settlers have shot a Palestinian man at point blank range, physically assaulted countless others, including at least one 16-year-old girl and two elderly men. Israeli settlers have also torched a house of an elderly woman in the village of Sfay, destroyed property and robbed livestock in the villages of Tuba, Tuwani, Susyia, Umm al-Khair and many others.

I want to be clear: the violence in Masafer Yatta has escalated to a point where it poses an immediate threat to the lives and well-being of those in the region, including foreigners. We urgently request that the Irish Embassy in Israel puts immediate pressure on Israeli authorities to take necessary measures to de-escalate the violence by Israeli settlers and the army, prevent further harm to Palestinians and our nationals, and ensure that human rights are upheld in accordance with international law.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Email for Mexican Embassy ([email protected])

Object: Urgente: Aumento de la violencia en Masafer Yatta, solicitud de intervención inmediata para proteger a los ciudadanos mexicanos y palestinos.

Estimado Embajador Mauricio Escanero,

Le escribo para llamar su atención sobre un asunto de máxima urgencia relativo a una situación profundamente preocupante que afecta a ciudadanos mexicanos en la región de Masafer Yatta, en el sur de las colinas de Hebrón. En los últimos días, la situación en esta zona se ha deteriorado significativamente, con un número creciente de ataques de colonos israelíes armados contra las comunidades palestinas de la zona. Ayer mismo, colonos y soldados del ejército israelí invadieron la localidad de Susiya, en Masafer Yatta, y amenazaron a los residentes palestinos con que, si no abandonaban la zona en 24 horas, volverían y los matarían.

En un incidente similar, colonos armados amenazaron a los residentes palestinos de Khirbet Zanuta, diciéndoles que si no abandonaban su pueblo “os haremos lo que estamos haciendo en Gaza”.

En las últimas tres semanas, los colonos israelíes han disparado a quemarropa a un palestino y han agredido físicamente a innumerables personas, entre ellas al menos una joven de 16 años y dos ancianos. Los colonos israelíes también incendiaron la casa de una anciana en el pueblo de Sfay, destruyeron propiedades y robaron ganado en los pueblos de Tuba, Tuwani, Susyia, Umm al-Khair y muchos otros.

Nos hemos enterado de que ciudadanos británicos, mexicanos, belgas e irlandeses se encuentran actualmente en Masafer Yatta trabajando como activistas solidarios para documentar y concienciar sobre las violaciones de derechos humanos en la zona. Estos activistas ya han recibido amenazas de muerte y han sido agredidos verbal y físicamente por colonos y soldados israelíes, que han disparado munición viva contra ellos en varias ocasiones durante los últimos días. Las personas que participan en este importante trabajo se solidarizan con las comunidades palestinas y seguirán haciéndolo a pesar de las amenazas a las que se enfrentan. Por tanto, es su deber institucional y moral garantizar su seguridad y la protección de la población palestina local.

Quiero que quede claro: la violencia en Masafer Yatta se ha intensificado hasta tal punto que supone una amenaza inmediata para la vida y el bienestar de quienes se encuentran en la región, incluidos los extranjeros. Solicitamos urgentemente que la embajada de México en Israel presione de inmediato a las autoridades israelíes para que tomen las medidas necesarias para desescalar la violencia de los colonos israelíes y el ejército, evitar más daños a los palestinos y a los activistas internacionales, y garantizar que se respetan los derechos humanos de acuerdo con el derecho internacional.

Le exigimos que actúe inmediatamente en este sentido. La vida y el bienestar de sus ciudadanos y de innumerables civiles palestinos están literalmente en sus manos. Una falta de actuación por su parte podría significar que se infligieran daños significativos a vidas inocentes, incluidas vidas mexicanas.

Atentamente,

[Su nombre]

Email to Belgian Embassy ([email protected])

Object: Urgent: Augmentation de la violence à Masafer Yatta, demande d’intervention immédiate pour protéger les citoyens belges et palestiniens.

Cher M. Jean-Luc Bodson,

je vous écris dans l’espoir d’attirer votre attention sur l’urgence absolue de la situation, gravement inquiétante, dans laquelle se trouvent des ressortissants de votre État dans la région de Masafer Yatta, en Cisjordanie. Ces derniers jours, la situation dans cette zone s’est détériorée de manière significative avec une augmentation des attaques de colons israéliens armés à l’encontre de communautés palestiniennes locales. Dimanche 29 octobre, des colons et des soldats de l’armée israélienne ont envahi le village de Susya à Masafer Yatta et imposé à ses habitants palestiniens de quitter la zone d’ici 24h sous peine d’être exécutés sommairement.

Un incident similaire s’est déroulé au village de Khirbet Zanuta, où des colons armés ont menacé les résidents Palestiniens, leur disant que s’ils n’abandonnaient pas leur village, « nous vous ferons ce que nous sommes en train de faire à Gaza ».

Au cours des trois dernières semaines, des colons israéliens ont tiré à bout portant sur un homme palestinien, physiquement agressé nombre d’autres, y compris au moins une jeune fille de 16 ans et deux vieillards. Les colons israéliens ont également incendié la maison d’une femme âgée dans le village de Sfay, détruit des biens et volé du bétail dans les villages de Tuba, Tuwani, Susyia, Umm al-Khair et bien d’autres.

Nous avons appris que des ressortissants britanniques, mexicains, belges et irlandais se trouvent actuellement à Masafer Yatta dans le cadre d’une mission de solidarité afin de documenter et sensibiliser aux violations des droits humains se déroulant dans la zone. Ces activistes ont déjà reçu des menaces de mort, et ont été verbalement et physiquement agressés par des colons et soldats israéliens, qui ont tiré des salves à balles réelles en leur direction à plusieurs reprises ces derniers jours. Les individus effectuant ce travail important sont en solidarité directe avec les communautés palestiniennes et continueront à l’être quelles que soient les menaces auxquelles ils doivent faire face. Il est donc votre responsabilité morale et institutionelle d’assurer leur sécurité via la protection des populations palestiniennes locales.

Soyons clairs : la violence à Masafer Yatta a dégénéré au point où elle pose un danger direct et immédiat à la vie et à la sécurité de quiconque se trouve dans la région, y compris des internationaux. Nous demandons urgemment que l’Ambassade de Belgique en Israël fasse immédiatement pression sur les autorités israéliennes afin qu’elles prennent les mesures nécessaires pour désamorcer la violence des colons israéliens et de l’armée, empêcher que des préjudices supplémentaires soient faits aux Palestiniens et aux activistes internationaux, et s’assurer que les droits de l’Homme soient respectés ainsi que requis par le droit international.

Nous attendons une action immédiate de votre part en cette direction. La vie et la sécurité de vos citoyens et de centaines de Palestiniens sont, bien littéralement, entre vos mains. En ces circonstances, échouer à agir pourrait signifier que des dommages conséquents seront infligés à des vies innocentes.

Bien respectueusement,

[Votre nom]

Source: Popularresistance.org