In Protest Against Settler Terrorism in the West Bank: Protesters Removed From Umm al-Fahm and Demonstration in Ara'ara

SadaNews - The police arrested 4 individuals who participated in a protest against the terrorism of settlers in the occupied West Bank, organized in the city of Umm al-Fahm on Sunday evening, after they raided the demonstration. They were later released and were banned from the city for eight days.

Dozens of residents of Umm al-Fahm and the surrounding area participated in the protest on Sunday, in response to the escalating terrorism of settlers in the West Bank, which was met with a police raid.

The protest was organized at the first roundabout at the entrance of the city by the grassroots committee, against the backdrop of rising settler assaults against the residents of the West Bank, following the massacre committed by settlers and the Israeli army in the village of Tal last Friday.

Participants in the protest raised banners calling for an end to settler terrorism in the West Bank and against the Israeli practices and attempts at ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.

Some banners carried slogans such as: "Stop the massacres in the occupied territories," and "No to the burning of homes and trees, no to ethnic cleansing."

Before the protest began, Israeli police forces and special units were present in the area, before raiding it and demanding that participants stop, subsequently arresting 4 of the protestors, who were released later.

Mohammed Mahamid, the head of the grassroots committee in Umm al-Fahm, said, "This state that calls itself ’the only democracy in the Middle East’ storms a demonstration against the terrorism of settlers in the West Bank, and does not want us to demonstrate, and to raise our voices against the injustice and inhumanity perpetrated by these armed militias."

He added that "the police arrested 4 of the demonstrators in Umm al-Fahm, simply for holding banners and chanting against the injustice and terrorism of settlers, and we want to live in security and safety."

"A Systematic and Deliberate Policy"

In Ara'ara, dozens of residents participated in a protest at the Martyrs' roundabout and the memorial, in response to the terrorist assaults carried out by settlers and their properties in the West Bank.

Participants raised banners with slogans condemning the occupation practices in the West Bank, such as: "Enough of the terrorism," "Stop the attacks," "No to ethnic cleansing," and "From within to the West Bank, our hearts are one."

Police forces and special units were present around the protest site.

Dr. Anwar Yassin, the head of the grassroots committee in Ara'ara, stated that "the protest comes in response to what Palestinians in the West Bank are facing in terms of killings, assaults, the burning of mosques, and the displacement of residents."

He mentioned that "what is happening represents a dangerous escalation of violence, and the least that should be expected from the people of the interior (Areas 48) is to raise their voices in rejection of these practices and show solidarity with their people in the West Bank."

Yassin added that "the committee will continue to organize protests until the aggression stops, and we emphasize from here the importance of Arab participation in the upcoming elections and working to bring about political change."

Bilal Na’ameh, a member of the grassroots committee in the city, told "Arab 48" that "the protest comes in light of the repeated assaults in the West Bank, which are generally executed by settlers, with the support and protection of the occupation army," pointing out that "in recent months there have been dozens of Palestinian casualties, alongside assaults targeting the elderly, children, properties, and olive trees."

Na’ameh added that "what is happening is not random events, but rather a systematic and deliberate policy that enjoys support from the highest levels of the Israeli government, aimed at displacing Palestinians from their lands and gathering them in specific areas in preparation for expanding settlements and seizing more land. These policies extend to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, reflecting the repression faced by Palestinians in the interior."

He pointed out that "the decrease in the number of protests in the interior is due to the policies of repression and fear imposed by the Israeli authorities, and we must unify our ranks and intensify popular activism to send a clear message rejecting these policies."

Earlier on Sunday, settlers launched a series of wide-scale assaults in various areas of the occupied West Bank, including the burning of two mosques in Nablus and Tulkarem and targeting facilities, vehicles, and Palestinian properties in several areas.

Four people were martyred and four others were wounded, three of them critically, as a result of being shot by live Israeli army fire last Friday during a terrorist attack launched by settlers on the homes of residents in the town of Tal, southwest of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. An Israeli captain and a soldier were killed during "military operational activities" in the area, near the settlement outpost "Havat Gilad" southwest of the city, and three others were injured.

Occupation forces stormed, on Friday, the specialized hospital in Nablus, arresting two brothers, one of whom was injured. Additional attacks by settlers occurred on several towns in the West Bank resulting in injuries and setting fire to Palestinian homes and properties.

This comes as the Israeli military institution is moving to summon additional reserve forces to the occupied West Bank amidst the rising Jewish terrorism and the expansion of settler assaults on Palestinian towns, after hesitating to bolster its forces there for fear of impacting its preparations for a potential confrontation in Lebanon linked to any escalation against Iran.

The Israeli army radio reported earlier on Sunday, citing military sources, that the most concerning issue for army leaders is what they described as "the breaking of the barrier of fear among Palestinians," as they are no longer, according to their claims, remaining in their homes during the storming of settlers into their villages and towns, but are now moving to confront them.

Source: Arab 48