The following eyewitness account was submitted by Ashwin Pienaar, an SACC-trained Ecumenical Accompanier who is based in Hebron.

The Israeli military's occupation of the West Bank is brought into stark relief in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, due to the political tension between Palestinians and Israeli settlers. The city is divided in two areas of administrative control- "H1" (Hebron 1) and "H2" (Hebron 2). The former is under Palestinian Authority control and the latter under Israeli Military control. It is in the area of H2 that frequent attacks by Israeli Settlers on Palestinian citizens occur.

Despite the illegality of Israeli Settlements, under the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949¹, new outposts are steadily being built, in a scenario giving ever greater legitimacy to Israeli Settler land claims under what the Bush Administration has termed "facts on the ground" ². Whilst Israel finds itself in breach of the 4th Geneva Convention, which it has ratified and enacted, effective sanction against the state has not been forthcoming. Moreover Israel's failure to mediate justly in politically charged areas, such as H2, brings its military under scrutiny. Settler violence against Palestinian civilians has been extensively documented by the human rights organization B'Tselem³, but without the significant threat of effective enforcement against their actions, settlers frequently transgress the law. Such actions include stone throwing at civilians, burning and vandalizing private property, and poisoning Palestinian crops- not to mention verbally and physically assaulting Palestinians and foreign NGO workers. Armed Israeli soldiers are ever present in H2 and frequently ID checks and body searches are conducted on Palestinians, whilst settlers go unchecked.

As a foreign civilian working in the West Bank, one is rarely without one's passport on hand, as indeed it is checked several times per day, depending on how many Israeli soldiers one meets. Bearing in mind the frequent security screenings that one is subjected to, it is a small wonder that most tourists avoid Hebron, not to mention the West Bank. However for those tourists who wish to see, first hand, the injustices meted by the Israeli state and its civilians in Hebron- tours can be arranged.

The experience of working in H2, as a foreigner, makes one aware of the lack of physical security that the state of Israel is willing to provide, against settler aggression. Frequent reports of settler attacks on foreigners (not to mention Palestinians) have, at best, been diplomatically embarrassing for Israel, whilst there have been little or no legal repercussions. Given these obstacles it comes as no surprise that, when leading a group of tourists through H2, "safe" routes must be traced to ensure the group's security. Such an exercise requires careful thought, discussion, and implementation on the part of the guide. However, as much as one covets the security of those in one's care, it is ultimately a risky business walking the streets of H2, and this must be communicated to the group at the start of each tour.

One such tour group experienced, first hand, the effects of the Israeli occupation on Palestinians living in the West Bank. A group of Haitian pilgrims were guided through the streets and pathways of H2 on an autumn morning, when they witnessed an Israeli military incursion into a Palestinian House. As the tourists walked along a pathway they were met by 5 soldiers running, M16 automatic rifles in hand, toward them. The group stood aside in a tense silence as they soldiers stopped a passing Palestinian youth. Commands were communicated in hoarse whispers as the soldiers pointed their rifles at the man. He was made to lift his trouser leggings and shirt, as the soldiers screened him for explosives. The fear and apprehension on the tourists' faces was tangible, as darting eyes searched my own face for signs of reassurance. As their guide, I suspect there was little that my tight lipped, forced smile could do to convince the tourists that this action was scripted and rehearsed as part of the tour. Fortunately, however, the soldiers did not wish to interrogate the tourists and, once satisfied that the youth posed no threat, they ran toward a Palestinian house, already flanked by military personnel who were covertly securing its perimeter.

At this point I decided not to stay in the area, as this brief experience had been harrowing enough for the tourists. Once we were safely away from the scene of the military incursion, we asked the Palestinian youth to tell us why the military had searched him. He calmly and rationally explained that the military appeared to be conducting a routine house occupation in Hebron and, by chance, he happened to be walking past at the time. During these house occupations the military storm the property, ransack the premises and often arrest suspected criminals. The experience is stressful for those civilians who happen to be in the area at the time- not to mention the inhabitants of the house, many of whom are women and children. From a tour guide's perspective the conversation with the Palestinian youth was useful in that it provided an explanation to an otherwise very jarring and confusing event. Ideally such an experience would require some level of psychological debriefing. However in the absence of this, the group was able to ask the Palestinian youth questions about the event- which appeared to be a sufficiently cathartic experience in the immediate aftermath of the event.

The tour group left smartly after this event and were returned to the comfort of their tour bus. Their relief at leaving Hebron was evident. After the bus left Hebron I returned to the scene of the military incursion and was joined by 3 of my colleagues. Together we were invited into the house, by its owner, to survey the damage left by the soldiers. According to the visibly shaken home owner, the military had broken the front door open, shepherded the family into one room in the house, whilst they ransacked every other room. The soldiers did not arrest anyone, however. Debris was strewn in an indescribable mess throughout the house and sofas were upended. In the kitchen two women were crying. Several of the male inhabitants were standing on the verandah, and by the speed and pitch at which they were talking to us it was evident that they were in shock. It was difficult, initially, to get an accurate and coherent story of the events but we were able to understand that one Palestinian man had been assaulted by the soldiers as he tried to open the door to let them into the house. He later went to report the incident to the police.

After phoning the relevant authorities, we left the house approximately 3 hours after the incursion. It is difficult to guess the motive for the incursion, given the fact that no one had been arrested and nothing was taken by the soldiers. Such an event too often leaves more questions than answers. Given the aggressive and violating nature of the incursion, not understanding the soldiers' motive makes dealing with the event all the more difficult. Yet very often Palestinians, living under occupation, have to deal with public unaccountability by the military. Actions can seldom be questioned despite the very violent and unpredictable incursion into the private sphere- one's home. Whilst it is important to emphasize the challenges faced by Palestinians on a daily basis, as they live under occupation, it is equally important not to accept these challenges as routine and thereby institutionalize them. It should not be sufficient for the military to enter a house without a valid permit and conduct an operation without a degree of bureaucratic accountability.

Israel's laissez-faire attitude towards settlers who repeatedly take the law into their own hands, and the State's inability to effectively account for the indiscretions of its own military, undermine the credibility of its constitution and the enforcement thereof. It is difficult to try and explain the security situation in H2, as it is unique (even in the West Bank) for settlers and Palestinians to be living together in such close proximity. However, what is clear is that the Israeli military is not present to impartially "keep the peace" in H2. The body search of the Palestinian youth, mentioned above, is indicative of increasingly humiliating military tactics- not least of which is the incursion into private Palestinian homes. Given the growing animosity felt by Palestinians towards the Israeli military in H2, due to its humiliating 'anti-terror' tactics, it is difficult to see how Israel's current military policies further its physical security. What is certain is that hawkish military exercises, such as searching and ransacking a Palestinian home without a legal permit, is not constructive towards building a just peace between Israel and Palestine.

NOTES

1. "Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War". Entry into force: 21st October 1950. http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/92.htm
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5006900.stm
3. http://www.btselem.org/English/

The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) was launched in August 2002. Ecumenical accompaniers monitor and report violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, support acts of non-violent resistance alongside local Christian and Muslim Palestinians and Israeli peace activists, offer protection through non-violent presence, engage in public policy advocacy, and stand in solidarity with the churches and all those struggling against the occupation. The programme is coordinated by the World Council of Churches.

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works co-operatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by General Secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist Church in Kenya.

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