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Report and photos by Nigel O'Connor

A Palestinian man was hospitalized yesterday following his arrest by Israeli police. He and other Palestinian landowners were attempted to farm their land near the Israeli settlement Karmei Tsur.

Farmers from Beit Ummar were clearing land to ready it for planting when an estimated 20 Israeli military personnel ordered them to leave. A British man was also arrested after he continued working with the farmers.

here were clashes between settlers and the Israeli military as Karmei Tsur residents attempted to breach the community’s boundary to attack the Palestinians. The crowd of men and boys grew boisterous as their numbers swelled and shouted at the soldiers in Hebrew to stop the Palestinians from working because it was the Jewish Sabbath.

Prior to the confrontations, landowner Riyad Abuayyash had thanked international and Israeli supporters for their presence, saying locals were afraid to work close to the settlement.

“You cannot come here by yourself,” he said. “Having all these people is a great help.”

Abuayyash said one day he hoped to build a cottage on the land.

The land had not been worked since 2005 after settler violence had increased following the second Intifada. With the recent construction of a children’s playground on his land, by Karmei Tsur settelers, Riyad said he feared the settlement would attempt to claim the adjoining area in order to expand the community.

After being driven from the land by Israeli soldiers, Ali Ayad Awal was arrested after singing a song and waving a Palestinian flag. He screamed in agony as his captors forced him to the ground and pushed their knees into his head and back whilst handcuffing him. An ambulance later arrived to administer medical treatment and press were prevented from taking photos as Awal was driven away.

Karmei Tsur settlement was established in 1984. Before that, it was a military base.