Israeli settlers block Tabasi family return to West Bank village despite court ruling

Israeli settlers have attacked a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank and prevented the Tabasi family from returning to their homes, despite an Israeli High Court ruling that they should be allowed back.

The family, from Jalud, just south of Nablus, was forced out of two homes belonging to two brothers in July. They had faced months of harassment and attacks by settlers who set up an outpost on the edge of the village. That outpost was illegal even under Israeli law, while all settlements are illegal under international law.

Earlier this month, the Israeli High Court ruled clearly that the family should be allowed to return. They were given a military escort at very short notice. The father, Mahmoud Tabasi, said the family was told around midnight that they could go back to the two houses.

Mr Tabasi said he feared that he, his wife and his son would be killed by settlers. According to the account, settlers used WhatsApp groups to coordinate their activities and called on others to come and stop the family returning. When the family arrived, they saw extensive damage. Settlers surrounded the properties and began throwing stones.

Mr Tabasi said five or six Israeli security forces initially surrounded the family. They used pepper spray to drive back the settlers, but he said they were not able or willing to confront them, because large numbers of settlers were present. The family was then taken away in a military vehicle. That vehicle was attacked and its tyres were slashed, Mr Tabasi said. They were moved into an armoured vehicle and driven away. They could not return to their homes.

Israeli military and political reaction

The Israeli military said rocks were also hurled at Israeli security forces and that three police officers were among the injured. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the violence. President Isaac Herzog called it a moral stain and said decisive action had to be taken against extremist settlers. He noted that the incident happened during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Israeli police made three arrests. The Israeli rights group Yesh Din said the case highlighted a poor record on prosecutions for settler violence. It said fewer than three percent of investigated cases lead to prosecutions.

Experts cited the incident as the latest example of settler violence and said it showed the Israeli authorities' failure to get to grips with the problem. The rebukes from senior Israeli figures were described as unusual.