Eyes Wide Open | Photo Blog

Yet again, settlers vandalized Palestinian property. Yet again, the military saw nothing. Yet again, the police are having trouble carrying out an effective investigation and tracking down the offenders. Yet again - because the perpetrators are settlers and the victims are Palestinians.

These are not isolated incidents. They are a reflection of Israel’s policy in the West Bank, which leaves Palestinian homes, fields, vehicles and belongings unprotected and constantly vulnerable to attacks by settlers. The implications of this policy run much deeper than the physical damage caused to a car or an olive grove. It has the cumulative effect of instilling terror among Palestinians who live under occupation, in the knowledge that their personal safety and their property count for nothing and there is no one to protect them.

* On 13 November, after soldiers were killed near Ofra, scores of settlers rioted, attacking Palestinian cars on the…