On 25th April between 20 and 30 armed settlers from the Maskiot settlement, supported by the Israeli army and police from the settlement, occupied land lived on and farmed by the Palestinian Bedouin community of El Maleh.

The settlers erected a tent flying Israeli flags just 10 metres away from the entrance to El Maleh and ordered the Bedouin community off the land. They then marked out the area they have occupied and have forbidden the residents of El Maleh from crossing the line, making it virtually impossible for them to take their tractors to collect water or food.

Today, 28th April, the settlers have escalated their actions with threats abd aggression against the Bedouin families.

Their aim is to terrify the community into leaving and illegally claim the land to expand Maskiot settlement.

Members of Jordan Valley Solidarity including women and children have been supporting the Bedouin community, staying overnight and sending in food, and water for the animals, as the members of the community cannot enter or leave.

Therezia Cooper, from the Brighton Tubas Friendship and Solidarity Group, members of the International Solidarity Movement, and other Palestinian activists have stayed overnight in the tents of the Bedouin community, to give support and solidarity. But, more international support is urgently needed.
A spokesman for Jordan Valley Solidarity said: “We must help this community to resist and stay; if it is these homes being threatened today, it will be other tents tomorrow and the next day after that.”

He appealed to the Palestinian Authority to take up the case, and for the international media to publicise this latest attempt at ethnic cleansing by fanatical settlers.

What can you do?

If you are in Palestine:

Go to Al Maleh to support the community in their resistance against the settlers.
Contact:
Therezia 00972 597215876
Fathy 0599352266 or 0507799232

If you are not in Palestine:

Please write/email to the following to protest at the illegal actions of the Maskiot settlers, and to demand that the Bedouin community should be allowed to stay free from violence and intimidation.

Ehud Barak
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence
Ministry of Defence
37 Kaplan Street
Hakirya
Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
Fax: +972 3 691 6940
+972 3 696 2757
+972 3 691 7915

email:  minister@mod.gov.il
 ehudb@knesset.gov.il
 pniot@mod.gov.il
www.mod.gov.il

Brigadier General Avihai Mandelblit
Judge Advocate General
6 David Elazar Street
Hakirya
Tel Aviv, Israel

Fax: +972 3-569 4526
2nd Fax: +972 3 608 0366

E-mail: avimn@.idf.gov.il
2nd E-mail:  arbel@mail.idf.il

Major-General Avi Mizrahi
Commander, West Bank
GOC Central Command
Military Post 01149
Battalion 877, Israel Defense Forces
Israel
Fax: +97225305741
Fax: + 97225305724

Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
3 Kaplan St.
PO Box 187
Kiryat Ben-Gurion
Hakirya, Jerusalem 91950
Israel

fax: +972 2-6496659
emails:  bnetanyahu@knesset.gov.il
 PM_ENG2@pmo.gov.il
 PMO.HEB@it.pmo.gov.il
 pm_eng@pmo.gov.il
Prime.Minister' sOffice@it.pmo.gov.il