Jebel Jalis – a very violent attack by the settlers of Givat Gal

Following a video that reached Mira from Hamed Qawasma which recorded a violent riot in the village of Jabel Jalis. The violence was by settlers from the Givat Gal neighborhood, which belongs to Kiryat Arba. We decided to look for the place and get to it.

At the Meitar crossing the parking lot was full. In a position near the fence on the Israeli side, a soldier is standing and looking through binoculars on the Palestinian side. The work of uprooting the trees along the fence continues and the roadside, which was always full of cars, is now empty. Gate 11, the pedestrian illegal pass, is completely blocked.

Further down the road the plowing is at its peak. The Palestinians plow every piece of land, even the smallest, so that the Israeli authorities don't say that the land has not been cultivated for several years and will become "state land". Donkeys are also recruited for this purpose.

In Eshtamoa’, four new caravans glisten in the sunlight.

Works at the Dura-Al Fawwar intersection, and the person who supervises the works and the army that guards the workers is a soldier from the Ben Gvir army.

We entered Kiryat Arba through the industrial area, from where the road leads to Jabel Jalis, the village where settler violence was reported from the Givat Gal neighborhood. Muhammad managed to find out where the video was taken and we arrived at the place.

The village is between Givat Gal and a military camp which is only tens of meters away from the village houses. We have been here before, when the Jewish settlement on this hill was just beginning. The new settlers have taken much of the Tamimi family's agricultural lands.

Since then, the Jewish neighborhood in Givat Gal has grown wonderfully that is the word.
Abu-Rami, the mayor of the village, came out to us and began to tell in Amos Oz’s style in Hebrew, what the lives of the villagers are like. The rampage of the settlers described in the video sent by Hamed began after a British TV crew came to do a report on the conflict. To show what the life of the Palestinians is like next to violent settlers and the army which does nothing to protect the Palestinians. 

The event began in the afternoon, when settlers from Givat Gal entered the village, and began rioting and destroying indiscriminately. One of the villagers was injured, and sought medical aid. It seems the TV crew didn't need more than that. However, the event continued into the evening.

In the evening, around 9 o'clock, about 50 settlers from Givat Gal arrived again, about ten of them were in uniform, and the whole area was full of settlers and the soldiers guarding them. The rioters also entered the houses and the courtyards of the houses as shown. This is the place where the riot described in the video took place, near Abu Rami's house

A heroic settler woman came with an ax and smashed the windows of one of the family's vehicles, hit the roof of the car with the ax, and another settler came with a knife and slashed the tires. They also entered yards and houses, all under the watchful eye of the army. Not one of the rioters was arrested. On the other hand, complaints were filed against Abu Rami and two of his sons. One of them is a doctor who works in Bethlehem and was at the time still in the clinic and the other is the son whose car was destroyed. 

For two days, Abu-Rami tried to file a complaint at the police station in Givat Avot -- the station (which is near the residence of Knesset member Ben-Gavir), has a separation between the residents who turn: one side goes to Givat Avot, and another side, goes to Hebron, Palestine. From there, the Palestinian residents file complaints and settle their affairs. Abu-Rami was not received at the police station, and he gave up trying. He says that after a few days the police called to find out the satisfaction with the police treatment and rate it between 1-10. There is humor in the police. 

Additional events: 

- A few days ago, his 75-year-old brother went out to pasture. Settlers from Givat Gal beat him, wounded the sheep, threw large stones at him. He was wounded in the chest, hand and leg and needed medical attention. He told about poisoned figs that were scattered on the road leading to his house. The sheep ate from the figs and some of them died, and the members of the household who drank the milk from the sheep, were taken to the hospital in Hebron for medical treatment

Abu-Rami planted a plot of vegetables not far from the house. In the morning when he went down to the plot he saw that someone had visited the plot during the night, uprooted some of the vegetables, and also sabotaged the irrigation pipes. He filed a complaint against an unknown person.

The next day, he decided to ambush the vandal and went out to the plot, and indeed the settler returned to the scene of the crime.

- Abu-Rami planted a plot of vegetables not far from the house. In the morning when he went down to the plot he saw that someone had visited the plot during the night, uprooted some of the vegetables, and also sabotaged the irrigation pipes. He filed a complaint against an unknown person.

The next day, he decided to ambush the vandal and went out to the plot, and indeed the settler returned to the scene of the crime. He captured him and took him to the military base, telling them that this is the perpetrator. They freed him telling Abu Rami that it is forbidden to arrest Jews on a Saturday, the reason being that it is impossibe to take them by car to the police station on Shabbat. But to damage and destroy on Shabbat is allowed and cancels the Sabbath. The complaint still exists. What remains is that Abu rami has only told us the tip of the iceberg.

The event began in the afternoon, when settlers from Givat Gal entered the village, and began rioting and destroying indiscriminately. One of the villagers was injured, and sought medical aid. It seems the TV crew didn't need more than that. However, the event continued into the evening. 

In the evening, around 9 o'clock, about 50 settlers from Givat Gal arrived again, about ten of them were in uniform, and the whole area was full of settlers and the soldiers guarding them. The rioters also entered the houses and the courtyards of the houses. This is the place where the riot described in the video took place, near Abu Rami's house. 

A heroic settler woman came with an ax and smashed the windows of one of the family's vehicles, hit the roof of the car with the ax, and another settler came with a knife and slashed the tires. They also entered yards and houses, all under the watchful eye of the army. Not one of the rioters was arrested. On the other hand, complaints were filed against Abu Rami and two of his sons. One of them is a doctor who works in Bethlehem and was at the time still in the clinic and the other is the son whose car was destroyed.

For two days, Abu-Rami tried to file a complaint at the police station in Givat HaAvot - the station (which is near the residence of Knesset member Ben-Gvir), has a separation between the residents who turn: one side goes to Givat Avot, and another side, goes to Hebron, Palestine. From there, the Palestinian residents file complaints and settle their affairs. Abu-Rami was not received at the police station, and he gave up trying. He says that after a few days the police called to find out the satisfaction with the police treatment and rate it between 1-10. There is humor in the police. 

As always I get interested in the water system. The water here arrives in a pipeline from the Hebron municipality and is stored under the house in a cistern. Water in pumped to containers which are on the roof and then reach the house.

Abu Rami wants to publicize his tale and asks for our help/