There’s the whole story with the red lines, which has nothing to do with the security fence [surrounding the settlements], it’s not the security buffer zone (special security area generally designated around settlements); it’s a totally arbitrary line that Palestinians apparently have no clue where it runs. Sometimes [this line] can be a kilometer from all the settlement’s angles, an aerial line, and if the Palestinian passes it, he’s a suspect, as far as the force is concerned. But he’s a shepherd or is roaming with his donkey and suddenly he’s approached and they ask him what he’s doing there as if he arrived [especially] from Tel Aviv to walk around Bracha. It’s something I will never get over, because the Palestinians have no way of knowing where the line passes, they’ve never been told. They’re just supposed to be scared and not get close and that’s something they know from their daily lives.

Have the red lines changed recently? It changes based on all kinds of outposts that pop up, so the borders need to be expanded, but it’s something relatively permanent and it’s something that the brigade commander determines. Just some arbitrary line, it could be one kilometer from the settlement that Palestinians are not allowed to approach. It’s forbidden on a level that if he does enter, it’s considered an infiltration of the settlement, and there’s no fence, nothing. It could also be private Palestinian land. In fact, often times, from what I know of how settlements are built, the red line is within private Palestinian land. It’s totally unreal, allegedly on paper it’s not a military order, it has no legal value.

So what is it then? It’s a brigade commander order, just like you can arrest any Palestinian in Judea and Samaria with the slightest bit of suspicion – so on that same level. It’s a recommendation to the forces, something that remains within the brigade but it’s clear that the major general knows about it. It’s not that they don’t know, it’s just that the army doesn’t want to declare it because then it’s apartheid. What, they’re prohibited from entering their own private property? That’s going too far. So it’s under the radar, even though I’m sure that whoever’s supposed to know about it – knows about it.