Before the elections, closing eyes and wiping out Masafer Yatta.
Two tractors and a van used to transport children to school are being confiscated and towed away by the army (the lead pickup truck) on October 26, 2011.
While Israel is preoccupied with the noise of the elections, Elimination project to erase Palestinian communities is underway on the ground.
Now is the time to wake up and take action.
Every week, we set out with apprehension to visit families in Masafer Yatta. We witness and hear how life is becoming impossible: daily harassment by "hilltop youth," army intimidation, property confiscations, and home demolitions.
In the last month alone, homes and structures have been demolished in three villages, leaving over 300 people—along with the hundreds of sheep that provide their livelihood—without shelter. Every day, a Civil Administration inspector arrives to check for new construction, paving the way for further demolitions.
The events in Masafer Yatta are not random incidents; they are part of an ongoing process of displacing residents from their land, backed and facilitated by state institutions.
The window of opportunity is closing.
About ten days ago, I appealed to friends in Israel and around the world to leave no stone unturned in an effort to prevent the complete demolition of the village of Jinba, part of which has already been destroyed.
These appeals reached, among others, U.S. senators. Following their intervention, the court issued an order... ...which delays the demolitions for just three weeks—until the day before the elections.
This was an important success. But it is temporary. We do not know what will happen when the order expires.
In the meantime, the pressure on the residents is only mounting.
Violence, confiscations, and intimidation
In recent weeks, incidents of violence and restrictions on freedom of movement have increased.
"Hilltop youth" lie in wait for Palestinian vehicles and hurl stones at them. We reported this to the police, but saw no effective response to the incidents.
At the same time, the army is confiscating legal vehicles belonging to Palestinian residents—vehicles used to transport food and medicine, take the sick and children to school, and reach Masafer Yatta. Among the items confiscated were water tankers and a truck loaded with animal feed.
Even when vehicles are returned, the process can take weeks and cost their owners thousands of shekels. Friends of ours from the "Village Group" (who head out to the field alongside us) were detained and taken for questioning by the Hebron police last Thursday.
Thus, step by step, life itself is becoming impossible.
This is a struggle for the very existence of the Masafer Yatta communities.
Before October 7, 2023, there were only a few isolated Jewish outposts in the area. Since then, many outposts have sprung up, and the violent settler presence on the ground has expanded rapidly.
While... "Hilltop youth" roam freely, harassing residents in their homes, at pasture, and on the roads; meanwhile, we—Israelis who arrive to protect the residents through our presence—are forced to sneak into the area, play cat-and-mouse with the army and police, and risk expulsion and interrogation.
The Civil Administration, the army, the police, and the settlers employ various tactics that all lead to a single outcome: pushing Palestinian residents off their land.
While we are preoccupied with elections, this process continues with almost no public attention. The current government might well complete its Elimination project precisely when the public’s gaze is turned elsewhere.
And yet, they remain.
It is difficult to describe Masafer Yatta to someone who hasn't been there. Vast expanses, arid land, harsh living conditions. And yet, these people cling to their land. They continue to raise their children, graze their flocks, and sustain their lives, despite everything arrayed against them.
We are there so they are not alone—to provide support and a protective presence, and to remind the soldiers, settlers, and police officers that the people facing them are human beings, families, and communities—not obstacles to be removed.
And despite the abuse they endure, we repeatedly meet people who refuse to let hatred define them.
We cannot... ...guarantee that we succeed in stopping the demolitions. But we can refuse to let them happen in silence.
Now, I ask for your help.
Do not wait for the demolition order to expire. Do not wait for images of the next round of demolitions. Do not wait until more families are left without a home, without water, and without a livelihood. Do not wait until there isn't a single vehicle left to transport the sick to the hospital, children to school, or food and medicine to the community.
I ask you to act now:
Share this testimony in Israel and around the world—on social media, in groups, and wherever there are people who can make a difference.
Reach out to members of parliament, senators, diplomatic representatives, and human rights organizations. Demand that they exert real pressure to prevent the resumption of demolitions in Jinba and to protect the communities of Masafer Yatta.
Leverage your connections in the media, the political sphere, and international organizations. Bring what is happening to the attention of the public and decision-makers.
Join the effort. If you have a way to help, make a connection, publicize the issue, or exert influence—do not put it off until tomorrow.
We must generate clear public and international pressure that makes it plain to decision-makers: The world is watching. The world knows. The world will not forget.
Masafer Yatta cannot wait until after the elections !!!
Thank you for every action—large or small. A Small Thing.
In the Name of "Peace Bearer"
Eyal Shani
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