Izbat at Tabib - Daily Harassment

The story of Izbat at Tabib began in 1948 when the residents of Tabur (now Israel) came under attack by Zionist extremists. As a result a number of families moved 20 miles west to settle in Palestine, forming a new village, Izbat at Tabib. In 1968 the Oslo accords declared this village to be in Area C, which means total Israeli control and no new construction or any building repairs are allowed. When the illegal apartheid wall was built in the early 2000s farm land was confiscated from the village, including olive groves which is a main source of income.

Homes fall in disrepair because no repairs are allowed by the Israeli government.

Today Izbat at Tabib consists of about 300 villagers living in about 45 homes, most of which are in very poor condition. The only construction completed in recent years is a kindergarten and child care center, in defiance of Israeli regulations. Recently the road to Azzun (about 1.5 miles), which is the nearest center for medical and educational services, was blocked by an earth, rock and concrete barrier. All traffic is forced to go to Azzun on a 7-mile one-lane highway.

This past week, two MPTers went to Izbat at Tabib to spend the night and observe conditions there. They learned that the mayor's 14-year-old son had recently been taken from the family home during a night raid by the Israeli occupation forces. He was released a few days later after his father intervened with various authorities for him.

MPTers monitored the actions of the Israeli army at a "checkpoint" at the village entrance. An Israeli police jeep with four well armed military police kept an amost constant presence at the entrance during the course of the day. The military police, apparently at random, stopped cars and pedestrians, checking their IDs which resulted in long back-ups for vehicular traffic.

All day long the Israeli military stopped and checked pedestrians

and vehicles going into the village.

Drivers waited not knowing if they would be checked
and someone taken by the Israeli military.

Well-armed Israeli soldiers in jeeps are a daily occurence in this small village.

In the morning it was learned that at least two homes were invaded by the Israeli military police during the night. Villagers related that sometime around 10:00 p.m. military police entered their homes, ordered the women, children (even sleeping babies) and the elderly to leave the house while they looked in every possible location for "young men." None were found. Villagers said that home invasions of this kind are frequent occurences.

Of great concern to the people of Izbat at Tabib is the Israeli government demolition order for 23 of the 45 homes in the villages under the pretext that they were illegally built.

What is the life of a child in a village

under constant Israeli military harassment and nightly home invasions?