Oscar-winning filmmaker and activist Basel Adra recently faced a distressing incident in his village, At-Tuwani, in the occupied West Bank. After Israeli settlers invaded his olive grove, Adra and his family, along with a foreign activist, tried to confront them. Instead of receiving support, they were attacked.
Adra recounted that as they were confronted, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) arrived but did not intervene. One of his brothers was even run over by a settler on an ATV and had to be hospitalized. Later, the IDF searched Adra’s home for twenty minutes, even going through his wife’s phone, and blocked an ambulance from accessing the village.
Adra has filed numerous complaints against the same settlers for their aggressive behavior, only to see no action taken. “We bring the police, and they do nothing,” he shared.
The IDF claimed they sent forces to the area following an allegation of rock-throwing by Adra’s group, a claim he vehemently rejected as false. He emphasized the settlers were the ones invading private land.
A recent report by activist groups, Peace Now and Kerem Navot, highlights a troubling trend: between October 2023 and December 2024, settlers established 49 new illegal outposts. This marks a 50% increase in such activities, raising concerns about the ongoing displacement of Palestinians.
In March, Adra and his fellow filmmakers won an Oscar for their documentary, “No Other Land,” which documents the forced displacement of Palestinians. This incident is not an isolated one; fellow filmmaker Hamdan Ballal faced a similar attack in March, underscoring the dangers that activists in this region regularly encounter.
Such reports point to a broader pattern of violence and intimidation against those advocating for Palestinian rights. As tensions escalate, the international community watches closely, hoping for a resolution to the ongoing conflict.
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Israeli settlers, Israel Defense Forces, Basel Adra
