Challenges Persist for West Bank Bedouin Community
In Umm al-Khair, a Bedouin village situated in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank, recent wedding celebrations underscored the complex realities faced by its inhabitants. Despite the customary joy associated with such events, a subdued atmosphere prevailed, with residents opting against traditional dances like the dahiyya. This decision reflected the community's somber mood, still grappling with the one-year anniversary of the death of local activist Awdah Hathaleen, allegedly at the hands of an Israeli settler. The village endures daily incursions by Israeli soldiers, settler attacks, arrests, and the persistent threat of home demolitions by Israeli authorities.
Community leader Tariq Hathaleen noted the precautions taken during the weddings, with families dispersing rather than congregating in large groups to avoid attracting attention that could lead to disruptions by soldiers. He recounted an incident during the wedding where Shimon Atiya, an Israeli settler previously under a restraining order for harassing Umm al-Khair families, brought his livestock to graze in a resident's vegetable garden, accompanied by Israeli soldiers. Villagers' attempts to assert their land rights were met with claims of altered maps, which they were not permitted to view. This event, residents believe, was a precursor to further encroachment, indicated by the tearing down of a fence bordering the village.
Tariq Hathaleen suggested the timing of these actions might be linked to the recent indictment of settler Yinon Levi, one of the rare instances an Israeli has been charged in connection with the killing of a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank since October 2023. He also recounted witnessing arson attacks by settlers on buildings and vehicles in the nearby Palestinian community of Khirbet Tuba. Hathaleen drew parallels between current events and the Nakba, emphasizing the ongoing efforts to erase Palestinian indigenous identity and heritage. He highlighted the critical difference today: such events are now documented.
International Day of Indigenous Peoples Highlights Local Struggles
The United Nations’ International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples serves as a poignant reminder of the struggles faced by Palestinians in Umm al-Khair and other communities. Local Palestinians and non-governmental organizations report a range of threats across the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, including detentions, killings, demolitions, restrictions on movement, and forced evictions. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have reportedly killed 1,100 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including 242 minors, according to the Israeli NGO B’Tselem. Over 3,000 Palestinian homes have been demolished in the same period, primarily due to the denial of Israeli-issued building permits in Area C.
The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicates that demolitions and settler violence have led to the displacement of an average of 17 people daily this year, a rate double that of the previous three years. A June report by the West Bank Protection Consortium, which monitors communities at risk of forced transfer, found that 96 percent of those forcibly displaced were dependent on farming or herding, having lost access to their lands. Critics argue that these displacements occur within a system of Israeli permits, demolition orders, and land policies, supported by substantial public funding for settlements and outposts. Peace Now, an Israeli NGO, has identified 146 illegal Israeli settlements and 390 unauthorized outposts and farms in the occupied West Bank. In 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful.
In Umm al-Khair, 13 structures received demolition notices last October, following earlier demolitions in 2024 that left a third of the village homeless. The restraining order against settler Atiya has reportedly had little impact. Tariq Hathaleen contends that the erasure extends beyond physical displacement to cultural appropriation. He observes settlers adopting elements of Palestinian and Bedouin lifestyles, such as erecting tents and herding livestock, sometimes even using Palestinian scarves and attempting Bedouin dialects. Hathaleen views this as an attempt by settlers to claim indigenous status and legitimize their presence, despite lacking a genuine connection to the land.
State-Backed Actions and Broader Implications
Tariq Hathaleen also highlighted the integration of many outpost settlers into military reservist roles, providing them with state-issued weapons. He recalled Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich publicly distributing all-terrain vehicles to settlers in the South Hebron Hills and recounted an incident where soldiers allowed Levi to identify community members for arrest. Hathaleen asserted that these are not merely isolated acts of settler violence but rather a deliberate state-backed plan, executed by settlers.
Yair Dvir, spokesperson for B’Tselem, described the situation as ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and an “all-out assault” on Palestinians, manifested through military violence, home demolitions, and support for settler militias. Shaina Low, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), echoed this sentiment, characterizing the actions as a coordinated strategy across Israeli-occupied territories. She noted an acceleration of these efforts since October 2023, including expanding settlement infrastructure, increased West Bank demolitions, and evictions in East Jerusalem, alongside an “astronomical increase” in settler violence.
Low pointed to Gaza as an extreme example of this agenda, citing the extensive damage to structures and widespread food shortages even after a “ceasefire.” UN satellite analysis indicated that roughly 81 percent of all structures in Gaza have been damaged. OCHA reported that approximately 59 percent of Gaza’s population faced crisis-level food shortages between April and June, a figure projected to rise. The Israeli military now controls at least 64.9 percent of Gaza. Low concluded that these varied tactics collectively serve the agenda of displacing Palestinians and expanding Israeli control. Despite these immense pressures, Tariq Hathaleen remains steadfast in his belief that Palestinian indigenous identity will endure. “This is our land, and we have always been living here in harmony,” he affirmed, expressing confidence that efforts to erase Palestinian identity will ultimately fail.
