Meet Oded Yedaya, almost killed by terrorists this weekend. But the terrorists were not Arabs. (And then a song to touch the heart)
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Every now and then, there are posts that I simply hate writing. Today’s is one of them.
This story is terrible and its implications are worse. But the purpose of Israel from the Inside is not just to share the things that make us feel proud or hopeful, but rather, to share what is going on inside Israel and in conversations among Israelis. Israeli social media has exploded with discussion of the subject below, which is why any semblance of fairness or balance requires that we share it — no matter how sad it may make some of us.
BUT SO THAT WE END ON A HOPEFUL NOTE, MAKE SURE YOU GET TO THE VERY BOTTOM OF THIS POST AND TO THE VIDEO OF VALERIE HAMATY SINGING LEONARD COHEN’S HALLELUJAH IN ARABIC AT THE RABIN MEMORIAL IN TEL AVIV JUST A FEW DAYS AGO.
THAT, TOO, COUD HAPPEN NOWHERE BUT IN ISRAEL.
I’ve only had to testify in a criminal case in Israeli court one time. It was many, many years ago, in 2002, and I was part of a group of kippah-wearing Israelis who went to Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), just to stand around as local Palestinians harvested their olive crop. The idea was that if there were religious, Jewish Israelis standing around, the local radical settlers, who had been attacking Arabs who were trying to harvest their trees, would leave them alone. What, the settlers were going to attack Jews?
Well, yes. They would, and they did. And since I was there, and took some pictures, the police eventually came to my office and took my camera for a while, and then, I received a summons to testify in court (the actual testimony was in 2003).
I wrote about this in Home to Stay: One American Family’s Chronicle of Miracles and Struggles in Contemporary Israel and in the coming days I’ll share most of that chapter with our paid subscribers.
But the “violence” that I saw then, more than twenty-years ago, was child’s play relative to what’s going on now. There was stone throwing, some pushing and shoving, and occasionally, some not-terribly serious injuries. Yes, here and there, it was worse, but for the most part, it was ugly and a badge of shame for the Jewish people, but not yet entirely unhinged.
That, though, was then. Now, things are different, as you can see with Oded Yedaya, above. First, though, some background. Precise numbers are very hard to come by, and those that one can find are highly contested. But the Times of Israel felt comfortable sharing the following this past weekend:
A full list would take far too much of our readers’ time (and it can all be found online in any event), but as a reminder, here are a few of the incidents that received the most attention:
Huwara Rampage - February 26, 2023
Hundreds of Israeli settlers attacked Huwara and three nearby villages, torching hundreds of Palestinian homes, businesses, a school, and numerous vehicles. One Palestinian man was shot dead and 100 Palestinians were injured, four critically. Despite the intensity of the attacks, six arrested suspects were released by Israeli police, and two others were issued administrative detention orders.
Turmus Ayya Attack - June 21, 2023
About 400 settlers marched down the village’s main road after the burial of Israeli victims of a Palestinian shooting attack. Omar Qattin, a 27-year-old electrician and father of two, was killed. Twelve residents were wounded by live fire and more than 60 vehicles and 30 homes were set on fire. Sixteen Israeli suspects were detained in the aftermath but all were released without charge.
Jit Village Attack - August 15, 2024
More than 70 armed settlers invaded the town, firing bullets and tear gas at residents and setting several homes and cars on fire. Rashid Sedda (also reported as Mahmoud Abdel Qader Sadda), a 23-year-old, was killed after sustaining a chest injury. The Times of Israel reported that four settlers, including a minor, were detained and suspected of terrorism in connection with this and several other incidents.
Community Displacements
Between October 14 and 23, 2023, the entire community of about 50 people in Khirbet al-Ratheem was displaced due to attacks by armed men in military uniforms whom residents recognized as settlers. All residents of Khirbet Zanuta were also forced to leave due to settler attacks.
On October 12, 2023, eight households comprising 51 people were displaced from the Shihda WaHamlan herding community in Nablus after settlers threatened them at gunpoint, saying they would kill them and set their tents on fire.
And what about arrests and prosecutions?
Here, the figures are painful. According to the Israeli watchdog organization, Yesh Din, between 2005 and September 2023, 93.7% of all investigation files into cases of violence by Israeli civilians against Palestinians in the West Bank were closed without an indictment. Only 3% of investigation files led to a conviction.
If you would like to share our conversation about what I
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