‘The settlers brought caravans and put them on a hill next to us’

Israel makes it easy for settlers to take over our land. Meanwhile, Palestinians who’ve lived here for generations are attacked and evicted.

By Basil al-Adraa | +972 Magazine | Apr 9, 2021

This is how it happens. Settlers bring in caravans and take over land with ease. Before they even move in, they have their own paved road and are connected to electricity and water, with the support of the regional council.

Last Monday night, I received a phone call from a friend. “Two large trucks just passed me,” he said. “They were carrying caravans. They just passed right by the road under your home.”

I live in a Palestinian community called A-Tawani in the South Hebron Hills. After my friend called me, I immediately got into my car to look for the trucks. I drove until I found them, and began following them, wanting to understand what was going on.

I told myself that they must be going to park the caravans in a new settler outpost that has been built nearby in recent weeks in front of the settlement of Ma’on. But they did not stop there and headed south. I thought they would leave the caravans at the Mitzpe Yair outpost, but they did not stop there and continued further south. I followed, trying to guess where they were headed.

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