Origin: Palestine | Documentary | Director: stopthewall.org | 3 minutes

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The Settlement

Stop the Wall - 2015, 3 min.
"I've been jailed in my own house. That's what we are teaching our
children: fear is not allowed here".

He is a palestinian in Jalud village. He keeps stones on his roof to
protect his family from israeli settlers. His windows have grids on it
since a stone broke the glass and hit the ground right next to a 6-month-
old baby's head. But he insists: "I'm not going anywhere. They will have to
kill us all, but we're not leaving".

Daily life in Jalud, a village south of Nablus, in the West Bank, is not
easy. The village dates back to at least 1596, according to Ottoman tax
registers, and in 2007 it's population was 464 according to the Palestinian
Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). In the past ten years, however, four
illegal israeli settlements and outposts were built right next to it - Esh
Kodesh, Adi Ad, Ahiya and Shvut Rachel. Since then, harassments and attacks
became part of their routine.

He saw many of his neighbours leave the village as access to their own
groves was severely restricted by the army and the settlers - not to
mention when they set them on fire. Those who remain are afraid of simply
going to work - also afraid of what they might find when they come back.
Since Jalud is located in 'Area C', as defined by the Oslo Agreements
between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the only legal system here is
israeli's military law. This means that, if Jalud's inhabitants feel
threatened by the settlers, their only option would be to call the Israeli
army - which is not allowed or willing to arrest israeli citizens.
Frequently, the soldiers end up arresting the palestinians themselves when
settlers attack the villagers. That is what happened last time that his son
complained about the settlers to the police - he was then taken to the
interrogation center in Jerusalem. There is no civil law they can resort
to. "Still, they called it a democratic state. What democracy are they
really talking about?", asks JP.

In situations like these, Jalud residents can only try to defend
themselves, without expecting any help from any institution. The multiple
stones on the roofs are a rudimentary way of disencouraging the settlers to
came too close to his house. "They usually come when we are sleeping. So
there is always someone here in the roof, awake, to warn the people in case
something happens", says JP. Last time the settlers came and faced
resistance, they called the army - who attacked Jalud's people instead,
with teargas bombs and pepper spray. Sixteen of them went to the hospital.
No settler was arrested. "They [settlers and soldiers] collaborate with
each other", complains the man.

JP's children have been hit by stones thrown by settlers more than once. A
4 year old boy from the village was hit in the head and was recovered in
hospital for many days. Most of the settlers carry personal guns, and they
also throw molotov cocktails at the houses in Jalud, notwithstanding that
there are children living inside. "This is not something you would expect
from human beings", says JP. Lately, he has decided to put grids on every
window since a stone broke the glass and hit the ground right next to a 6-
month-old baby's head. "I feel like I live in a prison inside my own house.
If you want to live here, you must to forget about fear. That's what we are
teaching our children: fear is not allowed here", he says.

However, he is not willing to leave his land. "I never leave the village.
I'm not going anywhere. They will have to kill us all - we're not leaving.
We were born here, we live here, and we will die here - they [settlers]
must understand this".

For more information, go to www.stopthewall.org
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEK4oSGEPJw&feature=youtu.be

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