The soldiers' response

The Israeli Army showed up with many heavily armed soldiers, as if they were preparing for a battle. I believe they meant to intimidate the Palestinian demonstrators from marching in the first place.

They blocked us from marching to the compound, but in all fairness, did nothing more. Unlike in the other two demonstrations I have been to so far this year in Palestine, they did not attack or arrest or detain anyone.

I am glad that, unlike the soldiers near the Adam settlement, they did not use violence against peaceful demonstrators. I commend them for this, and the commander who was in charge.

Having said this, their job requires them to enforce an unjust occupation of the Palestinian people in the West Bank. They should not have blocked the villagers of Beit Ummar from marching on the compound, that is located on their own land. They should not be in the West Bank, and they are part of the machinery of the occupation. The fact that they showed more humanity than other soldiers does not change this.

I pray that many of them follow Hassan's advice and take off their uniforms, and refuse to enforce the status quo.

The man in the first picture is the commander of the soldiers. The other pictures below are of his men.