Is it only in Area C [territory under Israeli civilian and security control]? Yes, because that’s where we have authority, but still: “suddenly you gave us this long list of illegal construction?” In our section it was like that too, they did a patrol to check out someone’s illegal construction in Qusra. The officers say to me “The DCO (District Coordination Office) wants to hit them hard, and since these people are identified with Hamas we are going to pound them.” They went into someone’s chicken coop at three in the morning.
There are people who were arrested? Not necessarily. It’s just punishment. You can’t actually arrest everyone affiliated with Hamas, it’s like 50 percent of the Palestinian population. Maybe more, I don’t know the percentages. Political affiliation. That’s like Republican or Democratic.
They’ll demolish someone’s balcony if he fits the category? It’s arbitrary since it’s the DCO’s decision; it’s their initiative.Based on what?
Data shows such and such Hamas operatives and their illegal construction. He gave a debriefing and said, “Yalla” (let’s go). It’s all a matter of showing the Nablus DCO its presence and that it managed to destroy illegal construction. My sense is that for many officers and soldiers, suddenly we’re finally on the right side, finally we’re also on the offensive; we’re also going after them, going out to make arrests. That’s the feeling. Soldiers are revved up and every night the officers go out on a mission. The DCO and the Civil Administration were making headlines, it led to a military operation. It’s called “Biur Chametz” (the Passover ritual of removing and burning all unleavened bread) – it’s an operation led by the Civil Administration, it was a real spectacle. What I told you about the illegal construction: the DCO didn’t have to make that call; it’s their initiative. Then it passes it on for approval to more senior ranks, but they say, “Great, the DCO is initiating, the DCO has intelligence information.” It’s seen as something positive, even though it could mean destroying some family’s home.