*23 April 2011 - Palestinians Prune Trees as Act of Resistance in
Susiya, South Hebron Hills*

On the morning of April 23, Palestinians from the village of Susiya
pruned olive trees on their land in an act of protest against land
confiscation and violence by residents from the nearby Israeli
settlement, also named Susiya. Six days earlier, Israeli settlers had
attacked and injured a local Palestinian in the area near these olive trees.

The Palestinians, accompanied by Israeli and international peace
activists, began working on their trees at approximately 10 a.m. Almost
immediately Israeli soldiers appeared and stood above the orchards. They
did not interfere with the pruning.

At approximately 11 a.m., four Israeli settlers arrived, then four more.
The soldiers, now re-enforced by Israeli police, did not allow them to
approach the Palestinians pruning the olive trees. After talking with
the settlers, the soldiers insisted that all Israelis and internationals
leave the area. The Palestinian families were able to remain and
continue working. As the Israeli and international activists slowly
departed, the soldiers moved the settlers away also. By noon, the
villagers had successfully completed their pruning of the olive trees.

Six days prior to the Saturday pruning action, on Sunday, April 17,
approximately 50 Israeli settlers came from Susiya settlement as Yousef
Mor, a Palestinian from the area, was grazing his sheep. According to
Nasser Nawaja, a resident of the nearby Palestinian village, two of the
settlers attacked Mor, striking him with stones and injuring his head
and his right hand.

The settlers ran back to the settlement before Israeli military and
police arrived. Palestinians in the area managed to film the settlers
running back to the settlement. An ambulance took Mor to Alia hospital
in Hebron, where doctors gave him stitches and released him the same
evening.