A very long and difficult night

At around 10:00 at night, ISMers received a call from Shaadi, one of our Palestinian friends. Settlers were throwing rocks at his house. This unfortunately is nothing out of the ordinary. Both Abed and Shaadi and their families are often terrorized by attacks by settlers, who live above them. The weapons of choice include rocks, bottles, and water hoses. Water has been sprayed through their windows with a hose, and their kids have been cut on glass left behind after bottles shattered both in their yards and in their homes.
By the time we arrived, the attack was over. A group of soldiers came into the courtyard, did what they usually do when such things happen (nothing), and left. We stayed behind to talk to Shaadi, and received a phone call about another situation.

At 11:30 at night, just beside our building, soldiers stopped a Palestinian 19 year old man, and took away his ID card. Without an ID card, a Palestinian in the West Bank can be arrested at any time. A group of ISMers approached the soldier who was holding the ID, and asked him to give it back. Unfortunately, instead of returning the card, he called for backup and after a tense standoff, the Palestinian young man was arrested.

The young man was taken to the nearby settlement, and that is where the abuse took place. He was accused of being a drug dealer, a charge he vehemently denied. Soldiers called him names and insulted his mother and sister, asking for their number and calling them whores. They began to beat him, hitting his head and hands and feet. His handcufs were on so tight that he had bruises on his hands. One of the soldiers, in addition to beating him, rubbed sexually against his leg and implied he was going to rape him.

After about 2 hours of this abuse, he was released by his tormentors.
Our intervention, which worked earlier that day with one group of soldiers, did not help him against the others. It is even likely that the soldiers got only more annoyed, and took it out on him. We feel horrible about this. He told us though not to worry. Unfortunately, as a Palestinian, he has grown accustomed to such brutality.

It is hard to even find words to describe the injustices and cruelties that happen in this city on a regular basis. As a Christian, I believe in a God who loves justice and hates injustice. He is not blind to what is happening here, and one day every soul will be held to account for what they did.

Israeli soldier let a Palestinian through the checkpoint. As skilled as they are at stopping and searching and arresting Palestinians, they are unable or unwilling to do anything against the settlers.

View from Shaadi's roof. The settler kids play in the basketball court, but this place is also used to attack Palestinian families from.

Palestinian 19 year old man being detained by soldiers. He was taken to a settlement and abused by them.

The man filming is Badee Dwaik, a friend of mine and a Palestinian human rights activist and the founder of a group called Human Rights Defenders, which documents the abuses happening in Hebron.

 The soldier who held on to his ID card and refused to return it.

Another soldier among those who arrested him. He looked like he was in charge, since he was giving orders to the others.

Soldiers among those who arrested the man (1).

Soldiers among those who arrested the man (2).

The soldier above was the most aggressive. According to the Palestinian who was detained, he was responsible for carrying out a large share of the beatings and for sexually touching and threatening to rape him.