Palestinian Christian Family Kicked out of Their Home by Israeli Settlers near Bethlehem
Legal Ownership Disputes, Flashbang Grenades, and an Activist Sit-in in Al-Makhrur
On July 31st, settlers invaded the Kisia family’s property. Now, the land in Al-Makhrur has become a hotbed of settler occupation and activist protest.
During the afternoon of August 8th, soldiers and activists clashed during a protest outside of the Kisia family’s property. The protest, which took place in Al-Makhrur about 3 kilometers outside of Bethlehem, was organized in an attempt to demonstrate rightful ownership of the property - which has been contested since the 31st of July. The protest was broken up at two points during the 8th, resulting in activist regrouping and an eventual sit-in on the land across the valley from the Kisia property.
I spoke with Andrey X at a nearby restaurant to learn about what events transpired in the morning. Andrey, a Russian-born human rights activist, now spends most of his time in the West Bank advocating on social media for Palestinians in cases of property siezure and access to water.
Brendan: “How many flashbangs were used throughout the day by the military?”
Andrey X: “Around 10-20 were used throughout the day, primarily in the early morning while we were gathered outside of the Kissia home.”
B: “Are crowd control weapons like this primarily used by the police, IDF, or settlers?”
A: “Grenades like these are used by the IDF to push activists and journalists away from the area. I didn’t see any settlers that were armed. They [settlers] act to hold the land and the army does the dirty work. This is the opposite of the Northern Rasa El Ein [Jericho Area] settlers who do the dirty work. Instead [in the Jericho area] the military takes up space and watches on.”
He explains that there are various types of methods which represent different approaches by activists. While there is difference in opinion as to which methods are most effective, there are provisional agreements to simply be present near the occupied property.
A: “For now, it’s to show we’re there [for the Kisia family.] So they won’t get used to taking the land without a fight.”
B: “Other than being a visual reminder that the owners are not unrepresented, what steps do you take to ensure that land seizures, like the one happening in Al-Makhrur, are being reported and witnessed at an international level?”
A: “We bring UN people who watch us get beat up. They witness what is going on.”
UN reports, like the kind Andrey is referencing, aim to offer credible and established insight into the situation in the West Bank to the international community. In their most recent Humanitarian Situation Update published August 7th, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported, “The number of Palestinians displaced in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, by demolitions and confiscations has more than doubled since 7 October compared with the preceding 10 months (3,070 compared to 1,252).”
At an activist safe house, I spoke with Mai Shahin, an organizer who coordinates with Alice Kisia to stage overnight sit-ins near the property. She has been at Al-Makhrur since the initial settler occupation and land closure by the IDF on August 31st.
Mai: “In the beginning, police and IDF were mostly Druze. They spoke Arabic and were less likely to be violent towards the landowners and activists outside of the property.”
Mai tells me that as of two days ago, the switch from Druze police and military was implemented and tensions have only risen. Upon arriving the afternoon of the 8th, police used a volley of 5-6 flashbangs meant to shock activists and protesters into inactivity and retreat.
At the site of the sit-in, activists spend sunset gathering firewood and supplies for the night. They assemble a ring of rocks, a pile of fallen brush for a bonfire, and lay out mats to sleep on. The IDF is present, watching over the developing situation.
A settler parks his car next to the location and attempts to provoke activists by flying a drone overhead. He is greeted by the soldiers with hugs and they take an interest in his drone. When he finished doing low flybys overhead of the activists, he landed and packed his drone and returned in the direction of the closed land near Beit Jala.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: As of the time of publishing this article, the Kisia family’s property remains both a closed military zone and occupied by settlers. It will remain this way until the land closure order is lifted. While the order is set to expire September 1st, the Kisia family with the help of activists is continuing to maintain presence near their property and appeal the closure in the courts.
Be safe-