"... because Hamas may be planning an attack!!!"

After returning from Beit Ummar, a group of us went on a patrol through the Souk. These walks are usually very relaxing. We stop and chat with shopkeepers, who often invite us to their stalls for a drink of coffee or tea. We ask them if there had been any problems with soldiers or settlers.

Sometimes, a group of soldiers walk by. They go patrolling through the Souq several times a day. When we see them, we drop everything and follow, filming. The reason we do this is because during their patrols, sometimes they will stop and detain and search people. This happens sometimes because they fear the person may be a risk and at other times, sickeningly, it is how they train. Sometimes we follow a patrol for just a few minutes before the soldiers go back to the base. At other times, we are busy for hours on end, especially if after one group of soldiers heads back to base, another one leaves.

The soldiers today were obviously very on edge, and were showing this in their treatment of the Palestinians. A young man was stopped and searched. The look of bewilderment on his face indicated that perhaps this was his first time. Other people were randomly stopped, and ordered to open their bags. People were stopped again and again. What we found to be even more worrying, is how the soldiers would randomly point their automatic weapons up at people's windows, and into their shops. Sometimes the guns were just pointed in the air.

The soldiers yelled at us to stop filming them, and threatened to arrest us.


After around twenty minutes of this, I asked them why they were being so aggressive. One of them looked at me angrily and yelled "because Hamas may be planning an attack!".

It is true that on this day, Hamas promised revenge attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers, Earlier that morning, Ali's father died from the burns he suffered during the attack last week, that killed his son.
Hamas often makes threats of violence against Israelis, and sometimes carries them out. It is a brutal response of theirs to a (far more) brutal and ongoing occupation.

Part of me could not help wondering when will the political leaders of Israel notice that their mistreatment of the Palestinian people may be a factor in their security challenges. During their daily patrols, the soldiers stop and harass random people. They also uphold the wishes of the settlers to victimize Palestinians, and run the checkpoints and enforce a system in which one group of people have swimming pools and lawn sprinklers, while their neighbours struggle with water shortages.
This kind of systematic and institutional violence drives people into the arms of armed groups like Hamas, who are never shy when it comes to recruiting and using angry and desperate people to fulfill their agenda.

To the best of my knowledge, there were no Hamas members flying around from window to window that day in the Souq, or hiding in boxes of keffiyas or under falafel stands. What is however evident is that the soldiers once again succeeded in harassing people and disrupting their lives. Most Palestinians I know are very patient people, and I and others who come here are amazed at how they are able to take this garbage day after day, and keep their cool. However, it is only a matter of time before a person who has went through just one too many searches, suffered one too many insults or shoves, or is unable to cope anymore with the frustration of being treated like a second class citizen in his own home, may snap.
For Israel's own good, its leaders need to realize that mistreating the Palestinian people does not make either them or their countrymen more secure. In fact, the exact opposite effect is created.


Later that day, Matthew and I were stopped by soldiers at Checkpoint 56. As we were entering the checkpoint, we noticed a group of soldiers who we have had bad experiences with in the past. One of them greeted us with the word "sharmuta" (whore). He then called Matthew a son of a bitch. Matthew responded "the same to you". Immediately, he was pulled aside and the soldiers made him stand facing the wall like they do to many Palestinians, and searched him and felt his legs. They told me to stop filming, and to shut up when I asked them what they were looking for and told them that what they are doing is illegal. After a few minutes, they let both of us go. As we left, Matthew did mutter "come on Peter, let's get away from these fuckers". One of the soldiers yelled at him for swearing at Israeli soldiers. Although I don't wouldn't swear at soldiers and don't think that doing so was a good idea, how they treated Matthew for responding to a soldiers swearing at both of us, is completely hypocritical and is a snapshot of what happens here everyday to Palestinians. The difference is that they often get it worse.
For some reason, Matthew is singled out by the soldiers. A few weeks ago, they threatened to arrest him and broke his camera, while he was filming raids on Palestinian houses. At checkpoint 56, he is almost always stopped and made to empty his pockets and bag. While they definitely do not like me either and often glare at me and swear at me and enjoy calling out to me by my first name, the soldiers give him "special treatment" that others of us don't face. Matthew is a very courageous person, and doesn't let their intimidation deter him.

Later that day, a large group of settler young men and boys converged in Tel Rumeida, gathering for what looked to be some sort of a party. They glared and laughed at us and the Palestinians who live there. One of them, a teenage boy, asked R "do you remember me". We aren't sure if this is in connection with the previous night when we were chased, but it was unsettling.

I wonder if Hamas is to blame for the settlers being jerks too.