Attacked by Settlers in the West Bank

For many years when I have visited Israel, I have also spent some time in the West Bank which I have visited with organizations like T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Breaking the Silence, and the like. I have been horrified to witness Palestinian villages destroyed by Jewish settlers who wish to push Palestinian shepherds and farmers off their land and take it over. So when I received an invitation from T’ruah to join a three-way mission of solidarity in the West Bank where we would provide protective presence for these vulnerable communities, I knew I had to go.

Family and friends cautioned me not to go, fearing for my safety. And, indeed, there has been increasing violence on the part of settlers as they push to displace the Palestinians. Many Palestinians have been unable to harvest their olive groves, an economic source as well as an important cultural activity. Just before I left, two American women were arrested and deported when they participated in an olive harvest in the West Bank, inadvertently entering a closed military zone. But I was determined to go, feeling that I needed to do something concrete about this awful injustice.

My determination was tested when I arrived at the Los Angeles airport for my flight to Israel on October 30th. Though my passport would not expire before January of 2026, it turns out I needed 90 days before my passport expired in order to get on the plane to Israel from Los Angeles. I only had 60 and had to miss my flight. The agent at the airport told me I should go to the passport office in LA to get a new one. I rushed over only to be told that the office was closed for the day for training. The next closest office was in San Diego, a three-hour drive. I went and, miraculously, though the government was shut down, I got a new passport within four hours.

So I bought a new ticket and went back to the airport the next day, only to discover that my visa for Israel, tied to my old passport, was not valid. My plane was leaving in an hour and a half, so I got online on my phone and found that, for a mere $200, I could get a new visa in half an hour. I paid the money and was all set in about 20 minutes. Of course the plane was delayed by a few hours, as was my connection in Newark, but I made it.

The first day of olive harvesting was without incident. We harvested olives in Batir, near Bethlehem. I was struck by how tactile the experience was as each olive had to be pulled off by hand — some people had rakes to reach the higher branches, but I was not very skilled at that. I could sense why this activity had so much meaning for the olive farmers as the act of picking brought one so close to the beautiful trees.

The second day, I went with Rabbi Arik Ascherman and his volunteers from Torat Tzedek to provide protective presence to two communities: Mukhmas and Duma. Both of these villages had been savagely attacked. The houses in Mukhmas had been torched by settlers and their sheep had been stolen. The fences in Duma had repeatedly been torn down, and in both cases volunteers had been hurt. Despite this violence, the residents were determined to stay, so the men remained while the women and children were sent elsewhere. Our presence there did not guarantee an end to the settlers’ attacks, but it provided one extra layer of resistance.

The third day, about 40 volunteers — Israelis, including Israeli rabbis, American rabbis who had come with T’ruah, and Europeans — worked in the olive groves of Deir Istiya, south of Nablus. After a peaceful couple of hours, a settler drone started to fly above us. The noise was unnerving and irritating. Then the drone started flying lower and lower, virtually touching the heads of some of the volunteers. Finally, whether by intention or accident, the drone sliced the arm of Rabbi Dana Sharon of Rabbis for Human Rights, causing her to require stitches.

The drone dropped to the ground from the impact. Suddenly, two armed settlers wearing soldier’s uniforms, arrived aggressively, brandishing M16s at us as they attempted to retrieve the drone. One fired live ammunition in the air, as the volunteers all fell to the ground. This was followed by a security man from the settlement arriving with three soldiers.

This security man claimed we had thrown rocks at the drone. Luckily, someone had captured the whole incident on video which belied this claim. The IDF initially issued a statement to that effect, but changed their story because of the footage. They are now “investigating” what happened though no settler has ever been prosecuted for their violent activities. Video can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1896088681260454
and here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQol2WUivs0/

I had an extra day so I joined the olive harvest one more time. We worked in Nahalin near Bethlehem with Palestinian women — the men were too afraid to get near their olive trees for fear of being arrested or attacked (they have been unable to reach them for two years). These were the “luckier” Palestinians whose trees were not uprooted which was the fate of so many others. We were able to complete the work without any problem.

I must confess that I am quite disheartened and dismayed by the behavior of my fellow Jews, especially because these settlers are self-professed religious Jews. Doesn’t the Torah tell us to love our neighbor as ourself? Aren’t we supposed to pursue justice and righteousness? What is even more disturbing is the fact that the current government in Israel is supporting this kind of activity, ensuring that a Palestinian state can never come to be. And ultimately, since I am a Jew, this is being done in my name.

I urge you to consider coming to Israel to provide protective presence for these vulnerable communities who do not deserve being disenfranchised. Rabbis for Human Rights, Standing Together, and Torat Tzedek do this yearround. If you cannot physically participate, perhaps consider making a monetary contribution to support these valiant organizations. It’s the least we can do as Jews.