October 2, 2002 - Armed gangs of settlers from the settlement of Tapu'akh have spent the last three days helping themselves to olives from trees belonging to the nearby Palestinian village of Yasouf while the villagers stood helplessly by. Despite repeated calls to the Israeli police there had been no response until today.
This morning, Angie Zelter of International Women’s Peace Service accompanied 7 villagers, including one old woman, to the area near to where the settlers were stripping the trees. Zelter called the police herself to let them know that she and the group of farmers were approaching the area. Before they had got within 200 yards of the group, one of the settlers shot at them. Meanwhile the same police that Zelter had spoken with had arranged to meet the owner of the land, Mohammed Obeid, at the entrance to Tapu'akh settlement. When he got there however, he reports that the police drove straight past him into the settlement.
Less than two minutes later a siren sounded throughout the settlement and dozens of armed settlers were seen getting into cars and heading off in the direction of the area where Zelter and her group of farmers were sitting on the ground. Obeid says he waited for a further 15 minutes, but the police neither pursued the settlers nor came to meet him as they had arranged. It appears as if the police alerted the settlers.
This morning, Angie Zelter of International Women’s Peace Service accompanied 7 villagers, including one old woman, to the area near to where the settlers were stripping the trees. Zelter called the police herself to let them know that she and the group of farmers were approaching the area. Before they had got within 200 yards of the group, one of the settlers shot at them. Meanwhile the same police that Zelter had spoken with had arranged to meet the owner of the land, Mohammed Obeid, at the entrance to Tapu'akh settlement. When he got there however, he reports that the police drove straight past him into the settlement.
Less than two minutes later a siren sounded throughout the settlement and dozens of armed settlers were seen getting into cars and heading off in the direction of the area where Zelter and her group of farmers were sitting on the ground. Obeid says he waited for a further 15 minutes, but the police neither pursued the settlers nor came to meet him as they had arranged. It appears as if the police alerted the settlers.