A new report outlines how Israeli settler violence reached new heights in 2011, if that still surprises anyone. The reason for this new level of violence, concludes the report, is the absolute backing of the Israeli government and military for settler actions. A recent example: a report last week that settlers uprooted Palestinian-owned olive trees under supervision of the Israeli army.Palestine Center, a research centre based in Washington D.C., published a report entitled When Settlers Attack, demonstrating that settler violence in 2011 reached new heights: After an increase of 300% over five years, and 39% in 2010, the level of settler violence toward Palestinians reached an average of 2.7 attacks each day in 2011.
More than 90% of the attacks were conducted by settlers in areas under full Israeli security control (although in practice, the entire West Bank is under Israeli control). In 2011 the largest number of attacks was in the Nablus region, which surpassed even the south Hebron Hills area in this regard.
Settler attacks rose during the Palestinian olive harvest season and it appears that a primary goal of the settlers is the olive trees themselves.
Last Wednesday (15 February) olive trees were destroyed by settlers in the Palestinian village of Turmus Aya, North of Ramallah. Settlers entered the village together with soldiers and began to uproot the trees. The Palestinian land owner, Rajah el Suqar, said the soldiers claimed to possess an order allowing them to uproot the trees, although the court had previously permitted village residents the right to harvest their lands.
Local residents confronted the settlers and soldiers in an attempt to halt the uprootings. No detentions or injuries were reported.
It should further be noted that the soldiers attempted to take the uprooted olive trees – Israeli cities are full of such stolen Palestinian olive trees.
