A Palestinian Village Under Siege: Israeli Harassment Intensifies
By Luis de Vega (El País)
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an ethereal glow over the parched hills of the Jordan Valley, a convoy of Israeli Border Police jeeps rumbled into the Palestinian village of Mu’arrajat. Accompanying them was a sleek black SUV, its tinted windows concealing the identity of its occupants.
From his perch atop a rocky outcrop, Mohamed Mlihat, 60, watched the approaching vehicles with a mix of trepidation and defiance. "There they are!" he exclaimed, his voice carrying across the deserted village.
With lightning reflexes, his daughter Aaliyah, 28, dashed into the safety of their modest home. Seconds later, she reemerged, clutching a video camera—her indispensable tool for documenting the relentless harassment by Israeli settlers, often perpetrated under the protection of Israeli security forces.
As the convoy drew closer, Aaliyah’s body language betrayed a mixture of fear and determination. Her eyes scanned the faces of the soldiers, searching for any sign of compassion. But she found none.
"They’re heading to Zohar Sabah’s farm," she whispered, her voice hoarse with indignation. She was referring to an illegal settlement outpost bearing the name of a settler sanctioned by the Biden administration in 2024.
For the residents of Mu’arrajat, the arrival of the Israeli forces was an unwelcome reminder of the daily torment they endured. Over the past few months, settler attacks had escalated dramatically, with homes vandalized, livestock stolen, and olive groves uprooted.
Under the protective gaze of the Israeli soldiers, the settlers had become increasingly emboldened. They roamed the village at will, terrorizing the residents and defying the rule of law. The Border Police, instead of intervening, often stood idly by, providing the attackers with a sense of impunity.
"We feel like prisoners in our own village," lamented Fatima Abu Jazar, a 50-year-old grandmother. "We can’t leave our homes without fear of being attacked."
The situation in Mu’arrajat is a microcosm of the wider Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. For decades, Israel has pursued a systematic policy of land theft, settlement expansion, and military control, violating Palestinian rights and extinguishing their aspirations for self-determination.
As the convoy disappeared into the gathering darkness, the residents of Mu’arrajat were left with a heavy sense of despair. The Israeli forces had once again demonstrated their complicity in the settler violence, leaving them vulnerable and without protection.
But amidst the fear and uncertainty, a flicker of hope burned within the hearts of these courageous villagers. Aaliyah and her camera had become a symbol of their resistance, documenting the injustices they faced and demanding accountability.
"We will not be silenced," she declared. "We will continue to expose the truth and fight for our rights. No matter what, we will not be driven from our land."
