Protective Presence in Yanoun

To sit outside in the sun, with an incredible view over green hills and fields of olive trees, may not be the idea that comes to mind when you say you are a civil observer. Yet it is all that is required of you in the village of Yanoun.

The village is split in to two parts, and it is approximately a kilometer between lower and upper Yanoun. The village of Yanoun is in the North West of the West Bank, near Nablus and the ultra radically nationalistic settlement of Itamar. In upper Yanoun where we live, there are a population of 36 people, us included. There are 13 adults and 23 children living here, one horse, two donkeys, but the number of sheep and goats far exceed this with a ratio of at least 10 to 1.

At first Yanoun appears rather idyllic, with a calm serenity and peaceful atmosphere. There is no wall, there are no checkpoints and there are no huge white settlements ruining the view in the horizon. However as time pass by you learn to spot the outposts on the surrounding hills, lit up clearly by watchtowers during the night.  During the morning and evening walks in Yanoun, you learn to turn when you reach the invisible borders to military closed areas and security zones surrounding the outposts. Even though it is not fenced in, and despite the lack of signs or a separation barrier, the distinction between us and them, between Israeli and Palestinian is still clear.

Frequently, or what we have experienced so far to be daily, the military jeep drives around in the village, sometimes together with settlers. There have been many incidents with settlers coming down from the outposts and threatening, or even hurting the villagers. It was this harassment that in 2001 led the entire village to flee, and they would only return after having been promised international presence and support. It is that support that we as EAPPI offer with our constant protective presence in the village, now going on ten years.

When you mere presence is all that is required to make a difference, the reality on the ground is gravely distressing.

Despite our presence the situation in Yanoun is still not resolved, and the occupation with its negative consequences is constant. Located mostly in Area C, a lot of the land belonging to the village has been confiscated and today a family received new military orders that their case would be brought to court as their home is now considered to be in a closed military zone. Therefore after the 21^th of May they may no longer being allowed to live there anymore, despite being the rightful owners of the land.

According to one of the villagers in Yanoun the protective presence we provide is important:

“Without the internationals, the problems would start again and the children would be afraid again.”