“It is the responsibility of the Israeli army to protect Palestinians from violent settlers,” said Baerbock. In addition, it is the “responsibility of the Israeli government to implement and enforce the rule of law in the event of attacks on people who live here legitimately and who are attacked illegally,” demanded the minister. “What is happening here is illegal – illegal under Israeli law and illegal under international law.”
While Baerbock was talking to the residents on the outskirts of town, a drone flew to Al-Masraa al-Kiblija from the direction of a Jewish settlement post; It circled above the minister and her interlocutors for a moment – and then flew back again. The drone came “obviously to see and hear what we are doing here,” said Baerbock.
After her conversation with the villagers, the minister reported on “people who can no longer go to their own homes, who can no longer go to their own fields.” Baerbock added: “That means Palestinian life is impossible here.” Baerbock underscored her demand for a separate state for the Palestinians: “Here in the West Bank it shows how urgently a two-state solution is needed – but also how incredibly endangered it is.”
In 2000, Jewish settlers had established an illegal outpost on the hill opposite Al-Masraa al-Kiblija. Since then, there have been repeated clashes – which have become even more intense since the radical Islamic Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th, as villagers reported to the minister.
“The attacks have reached a different level since October 7th,” said 70-year-old farmer and former teacher Samhan Muhammad al-Scharita. “They told us: You are not allowed to stay here. Anyone who stays here will die.”
The distress in Al-Masraa al-Kiblija is getting worse – and no one is coming to help the villagers, al-Scharita complained. “They damage our houses, our belongings. They once hit me on the head.” Al-Scharita added: “This is my personal story of suffering.” But there are “thousands” comparable ones.
65-year-old villager Muhammad Saleh Maschita told the minister how settlers had destroyed his house. “After October 7th, the settlers came and drove us out with weapons,” says Maschita. “A week later they set our houses on fire. There’s nothing left.”
In her talks with government representatives on Sunday, Baerbock had already called on Israel to take action against the increasing violence by extremist settlers against Palestinian residents of the West Bank. She said she had also made her “deep concern about the illegal construction of settlements clearer.” This represents “a significant obstacle to lasting peace in the region”.
The Palestinian authorities and Israeli human rights activists had recently raised the alarm about the increase in violent attacks by settlers in the West Bank. The Israeli human rights group Yesh Din documented 242 violent attacks by Jewish settlers in the first two months after the Hamas attack on Israel alone. These killed at least ten Palestinians, set fire to dozens of houses and cars, set up roadblocks and destroyed olive groves.
Baerbock had further stops in Israel on Monday afternoon, including a meeting with Defense Minister Joav Gallant. The minister also wanted to meet a released Hamas hostage as well as Israeli internally displaced persons who fled the border region from rocket fire from the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. In the evening Baerbock wanted to travel on to Egypt.
