The Palestinian village that woke up: 'For years we took part in the armed resistance against Israel'
A tour of the southern Hebron Hills reveals a complex picture of friction, violence, and disillusionment. Alongside the 'Druma' farm, which boasts of violent clashes, and the village of Umm al-Khair, where Ouda al-Hathalin was shot dead by a settler, lies the village of At-Tuwani, which has chosen a path of non-violent resistance. Former regional council head Ron Shechner warns of the lawlessness in the area.
A tour of the southern Hebron Hills, as part of the 'Path of the Patriarchs' series, reveals a complex picture of friction, violence, and disillusionment. At the 'Druma' farm near Avigail, the host mother says simply: 'We are doing occupation. We are not confused and we do not apologize.' She welcomes the violent clashes with Palestinians, claiming they make the farm 'a calmer place.' In the village of Umm al-Khair, Salem, the brother of Ouda al-Hathalin who was shot dead in July 2025 by Yinon Levi, a settler who has been subject to international sanctions, describes a feeling of suffocation. His family's bathroom has become a military zone he is forbidden to enter. In contrast, in the village of At-Tuwani, Adel speaks of a disillusionment with armed struggle and a choice of non-violent resistance, through documentation and dissemination. Ron Shechner, one of the founders of the Jewish settlement in the area and its first council head, sharply criticizes his own camp: 'The lawlessness does not stop at Palestinian blood. When you act as a master – everything becomes permissible.'