The olive harvest test (Ha'aretz editorial)

[Violet_Crumble]

Israel's objection to the nascent agreement for a Palestinian unity government, and the frozen plans for a unilateral withdrawal, require, among other things, that Israel continue to bear responsibility for the well-being of the Palestinian population in the West Bank. According to a June High Court ruling, "Protecting the security and possessions of the local residents is among the most basic obligations of the military commander in the field."

The ruling involved a petition by the representatives of five West Bank villages that were subjected to a series of violent acts by settlers. The bullying neighbors uprooted their olive trees, ran off their flocks and occasionally attacked villagers. The upcoming olive harvest will be the first test of Defense Minister Amir Peretz in protecting these farmers and their livelihood.

The justices ruled the state's efforts to deal with the problem produced insufficient results, and instructed the security establishment to act "more forcefully against lawbreakers in order to uproot this phenomenon."

The attorney general determined that the ruling required the security establishment and the police to make "significant decisions to change the existing situation." Despite the large size of the Judea and Samaria district, only 6 percent of the police force - and 2.5 percent of the police budget - are assigned to it.

The severity of the "existing situation" can be gleaned from a report by the human rights organization Yesh Din. Based on a sampling of 92 files opened in the Judea-Samaria police district, the report reveals only 10 percent of Palestinian complaints of Israeli violence in the West Bank ended with indictments. An examination of closed cases revealed a number of serious flaws and failings.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/763281.html

[breakaleg]

1. Yet another valid story that will be ignored.