Often the argument [in Giv’at Ronen] isn’t with the village (Burin) but about the [question] of who owns which orchard. So they (the Giv’at Ronen settlers) say: These are our orchards and [the Palestinians] are not allowed to [come]… Usually, why do they head down during the day? Because some Palestinian farmer has arrived at his orchards and then they come to scare away the farmer. That’s usually the daily dynamic. And then you tell them: Fine, fine, I’ll go take care of the farmer, you wait here. And then they usually let you like go take care of the Palestinian farmer yourself. 

What does “take care of the farmer” mean?So you go to the farmer and you tell him: What are you doing here? And he tells you: This is my land. And then you tell him: But do you have a permit to come here? And he tells you: I don’t have a permit to come here, but this is my father’s land.

What permit does he need to go there?I don’t know, how would I know?

So why do you ask him this?Because, like, what, am I like the [person working on the] Tabu (land registry deed)? How would I know who owns each plot?

Excellent question. And then how do you figure it out?So you ask him. Usually many times you ask a question in order to see what the response is going to be. So usually if his story starts developing and he says to you: No, this is my father’s, then you tell him: Then your father should come. And then he tells you: No, my father doesn’t live here. And then you know that maybe he’s bullshitting you. 

And maybe not.Maybe not. Usually in the end you say to the Palestinian: Okay, talk to the DCO (District Coordination Office, the Civil Administration’s offices operating in the occupied territories). If the DCO approves it, I’ll let you through.

When is he going to talk to the DCO?Now. He could make the call. Pick up the phone. [Or] go home, call the DCO. 

Do you think they pick up?I don’t know. I don’t care.

Are you even required to know whether it’s true or not that it’s his (the Palestinian’s) land?Aside from the time of harvest, the period of olive harvest which we had a bit of in reserve duty now too and also then during the time I was there there was a harvest, so like during the harvest period [they’re] very occupied with clarifying [this] to you. Meaning, the regional brigade gives you a map. They give you the maps and tell you every day where it’s been approved and where it hasn’t. You don’t know. You from your point of view, if the day has ended without any stones being thrown that’s better than a day that ends with stones being thrown. And the fact that you’ve done an injustice to the Palestinian person, again, truly in the sum of all of the injustices this gets tossed in a very very low place. Like, the fact that he… Today he won’t tend to his land, from my perspective. Nothing big has happened. 

But tomorrow he also won’t be able to. Tomorrow I’m not going to be there. That’s always the perception. Tomorrow I’m not going to be there. But when I’m here today, today nothing happened and the day has ended in a sort of quiet way and that’s what I wanted to achieve. As far as I’m concerned, if the DCO now comes and like says to me you know, in a situation assessment they say to me “Listen, today we have a permit for so and so to come,” then yes, I’ll guard him. We did that many times. We guarded [people] when there were permits. But if he (a Palestinian) has suddenly come up in this direction, then no, like “Go back to the village,” “Come back tomorrow.” You don’t feel like something terrible has happened. 

But did someone brief you that you need to ask him for a permit? Like, why did you ask for a permit and does a permit even exist?No. I suppose it stems from the fact that when there were instances where there were permits, for example the olive harvest, for example instances where we knew in advance, like it came down from the brigade, the DCO has authorized such and such, and then we concluded that all the rest of the cases where you don’t have permits are not okay.