Journalist Shares Firsthand Account of Surviving Brutal Israeli Settler Attack |
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We speak to independent journalist Jasper Nathaniel, who has recently returned from documenting Israeli settler and state violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Nathaniel describes being ambushed by settlers in October, on the first day of the olive harvest, in an attack that left one middle-aged Palestinian woman with a brain hemorrhage. “It was clear that this was a planned ambush,” says Nathaniel. “They were out for blood.” Earlier this week, the Israeli Cabinet approved 19 more settlements in the occupied West Bank. “What’s happening right now is these really violent settlers are going out into the fields. They’re stealing land from Palestinians,” explains Nathaniel. “[Then the government will] retroactively legalize the land that was stolen, and basically reward the violent settlers by giving them the stamp of state legitimacy.”
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: As the Israeli Cabinet approves another 19 illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, we look now at “Israel’s archeological apartheid.” That’s the new piece by the New York-based journalist and writer Jasper Nathaniel, who recently returned from the occupied West Bank after months documenting Israeli state and settler violence against Palestinians. He’s going to join us in a minute.
In October, Jasper Nathaniel was ambushed by settlers as he filmed an attack on Palestinian farmers in the village of Turmus Aya on the first day of the olive harvest. During the attack, a masked settler, Israeli settler, wielding a club, beat a 55-year-old woman unconscious. She was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage. This is Afaf Abu Alia describing being attacked.
AFAF ABU ALIA: [translated] We were picking olives. Then a vehicle passed by. It kept on going by. Then a woman started screaming, “Settlers!” And we didn’t see them. They were hiding between the olive trees. She told me, “Settlers! Settlers!” Then, me, my sister-in-law, my brother-in-law and my son ran away from the area. …
I was looking around, and I saw around 20 settlers. And they started beating me on my head. I fell to the ground, and I couldn’t feel anything. They continued beating me. I didn’t see anyone. And then two people came and carried me.
AMY GOODMAN: Jasper Nathaniel and a group of Palestinians were also chased by a swarm of Israeli settlers just before. The settlers were carrying clubs.
JASPER NATHANIEL: Press! Press! American press! American press! Press!
They’re literally right behind us. He’s right here. He’s about to smash our window. There he is. Here he is. Get ready. There it is. Are the doors locked?
AMY GOODMAN: To talk more about this and Israel’s de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank, we’re joined now by Jasper Nathaniel, New York-based journalist who covers Israel’s occupation on his Substack, Infinite Jaz. He’s written extensively on state-backed settler violence and Israel’s use of archeology, interestingly, as a tool of annexation. His latest piece is “Israel’s archeological apartheid.”
I want to go back to that day. When was this that this took place, the attack on you and the attack on the woman who was left unconscious?
JASPER NATHANIEL: It was October 19th, so just about two months ago.
AMY GOODMAN: And explain exactly what happened, how you got to this area, what you were facing, who you were with.
JASPER NATHANIEL: So, it’s in a village called Turmus Aya, which, interestingly, is a 80 to 90% American citizen — citizens live in this village. And so, the reason I mention that —
AMY GOODMAN: You mean U.S. Israeli citizen settlers.
JASPER NATHANIEL: No, no, no, Palestinian American —
AMY GOODMAN: Ah.
JASPER NATHANIEL: — citizens living in this village. So, the village is actually largely built on the American economy, because a lot of the people who live there go back and forth. They have businesses in the U.S., and then they have — they maintain homes in their........