The small village of Susiya in the Israeli Occupied Territories is about to be demolished
yet again. Most Canadians have never even heard about the first, second, third and fourth
times - but we should, because Canada is heavily implicated in these human rights abuses
as a result of our government's unconditional support for Israel. ---- A few years ago
some fellow Israelis introduced me to Susiya and its determined and resolute residents.
These Israelis have made it their business to work with and support the Palestinians
living in the villages of the South Hebron hills. ---- The elements are harsh in these
hills; the scorching heat envelopes you and all you can see is arid land dotted here and
there with patches of green. The only lush areas are next to the illegal but fully
water-supplied Israeli settlements - while the Palestinians must import and pay dearly for
water arriving by truck.
Energy is connected for the Jewish settlements, but Palestinian villages have nothing.
Recently, my Israeli friends and some local Palestinians came up with a way to get power
by installing a few small wind turbines and some solar panels. Now at night the residents
can read and even use a refrigerator ? quite an achievement in the 21st century!
Susiya was razed in 1985, 1991, 1997, and twice in 2001. An adjacent Jewish West Bank
settlement of Susiya was built in 1983. In 1986, the Palestinian Susiya was declared an
archaeological site, as it sits atop remnants of an early Jewish settlement. Its residents
were forced to move onto their farmland, into tents and caves. In 2001, the Israeli army
(IDF) and Civil Administration (part of the IDF) violently expelled them, destroying their
homes, fields, livestock and water cisterns. This was all under the pretense of responding
to the second Intifada (Palestinian uprising). Following a campaign and legal battle by
Palestinian residents and Israeli leftists, the Israeli High Court of Justice instructed
authorities to stop the demolitions. But it did not instruct the Civil Administration to
allow the Palestinians to build, thereby giving them no other choice but to reconstruct
the village without permits.
Throughout the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, house demolitions are a constant
reality for Palestinians. It is estimated that at least 24,813 houses have been demolished
since 1967. The Civil Administration routinely discriminates against Palestinians by
making their acquisition of building permits almost impossible. Showing the strength and
determination they are so widely recognized for, Susiya residents boldly erected some
tents and rudimentary buildings, including a school.
Despite the 2001 High Court ruling disallowing further demolitions and other acts of
harassment, Jewish settlers and the IDF have subjected Palestinian farmers to ongoing
violence and blockades of their land. Finally help came from the organization Rabbis for
Human Rights; this organization, along with local residents, filed a complaint regarding
Palestinians' inability to access their lands, and the Israeli settlers increasing
encroachment upon it.
In 2011, something unusual occurred: the military commanding officer declared a large part
of the Palestinian residents? land closed to Israelis; this was an attempt to stop the
violence and land encroachment by the settlers. To ?remedy? this the settlers used the
association Regavim to speed up the demolition orders for Susiya?s few meagre structures.
Regavim?s petition painted a bizarre picture of the two sides: Palestinian residents
became ?illegal outpost settlers? (despite the fact that they have lived there for
centuries), and Israeli settlers were framed as an indigenous, oppressed group facing
discrimination.
Outrageously, throughout the court challenges and the Regavim petition, the illegal
building of Jewish Susiya has continued. As well, the Civil Administration hurried to fly
in the face of Israeli law and demolish as much of the Palestinian Susiya as they could
before the High Court intervened. On June 13, 2012 they issued demolition orders for 52
buildings - including a preschool, a clinic and a solar panel system.
Susiya is a microcosm of life for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. The
authorities? obvious discrimination, especially regarding the provision of services,
resembles ethnic cleansing. As of today, Palestinians in the little village of Susiya and
elsewhere live under the constant threat of demolition, expulsion and forced relocation.
It feels like it will never end.
While there is little that Canadians can do from here to allieviate the daily oppression
of Palestinians such as those living in Susiya, there are some small steps we can take. We
can start by joining the international BDS campaign by boycotting Israeli made merchandise
and divesting from companies who support the occupation. People might also consider taking
a moment to sign the current Avaaz.org petition to halt the pending Susiya demolitions.
The crimes of the occupation are rarely covered in Canadian media, which offers a tainted
national understanding of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. That is why we should also
demand better coverage from our national media - or better yet, support independent media
sources that offer a more accurate representation of life under Israeli occupation.
=====================================
* The on-line journal of the anarchist organization Common Cause
a-infos-en@ainfos.ca
