<\/p>\n
Shortly before midnight<\/span> on August 4, Israeli settlers arrived<\/a> at the home of Loui Abu Ridi, a Palestinian American, in the village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank.\u00a0<\/p>\n By then, settlers had already been attacking the house for months. The Abu Ridi family had hired contractors to install an additional fence around their property, and when the settlers drove up to the home on an ATV on August 4, workers were busy erecting the fence.<\/p>\n \u201cWe called the Israeli police so they would protect us from them,\u201d Qusai Abu Ridi, Loui\u2019s brother, told The Intercept. \u201cThe army came after half an hour.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n About two and a half hours after the settlers\u2019 arrival, the Israeli military did take action \u2014 but not against the settlers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The workers installing the fence would end up arrested and taken away<\/a> by Israeli soldiers while the settlers who were trespassing roamed around the property freely, according to security camera footage reviewed by The Intercept.<\/p>\n The Israeli military\u2019s actions that night against the workers stand as an example of the Israeli government\u2019s broader role in and response to settler violence in the occupied West Bank \u2014 emboldening the settlers\u2019 <\/a>lawless behavior<\/a> as they forcibly displace Palestinians<\/a> from their homes and land.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just a few days later on August 9, settlers began a siege on three homes in Qusra, including the Abu Ridi\u2019s, blocking the main road and trapping families inside their houses with limited water and food.<\/p>\n Despite claims by the Israeli military that it has removed Israeli citizens since the siege began in Qusra and that they are minimizing the impact of operations on Palestinian civil life, the videos from before and during the siege show a village that remains under threat from settlers \u2014 with Israeli soldiers doing little to stop them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are still under siege. There\u2019s military all around the house.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cWe are still under siege. There\u2019s military all around the house,\u201d said Abu Ridi, after traveling from Ohio last week to protect his home in Qusra. \u201cThe IDF\u201d \u2014 Israel Defense Forces \u2014 \u201cpresence is not helping the situation. It\u2019s not giving us the freedom to go in and out.\u201d<\/p>\n The siege has led to international condemnation of the impunity afforded to settlers \u2014 including rare, harshly worded remarks from the far-right<\/a> U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.\u00a0<\/p>\n In statements to The Intercept, the Israeli military referred to the settlers as \u201crioters\u201d but did not answer questions about the incident on August 4.<\/p>\n \u201cIDF soldiers are currently permanently stationed in the area until further notice, in order to protect its residents and prevent friction,\u201d an Israeli military spokesperson said. \u201cThe IDF is operating with the tools at its disposal and will continue to work to restore order in the area, prevent disturbances, and ensure the security of all residents of the area, both Palestinians and Israelis.\u201d<\/p>\n On August 4, Qusai Abu Ridi said he called the police for help when the settlers arrived<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\n
\u201cComplicit With the Settlers\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n