– Leave us alone with the Arabs. We know the job (English version)

Sunday morning. The rooster’s been up for a while, still it’s only 5:55 am when my telephone rings. It’s Rashed, the mayor here in Yanoun. «Settlers!», is all he says, and that means: get dressed, bring your cameras – in a hurry!

One of the soldiers looking after the settlers private car.. EAPPI-colleague, Chris is observing

Outside, we meet two settlers and four soldiers. I ask one of the soldiers what’s going on, and he answeres: «No problem, they’re with us». The two settlers are actually accompanied by four soldiers carrying army rifles. The settlers wear army vests and helmets, borrowed from their soldier friends..

For more than an hour, the settlers (and soldiers) walk around in the village. They take pictures both outside and inside (empty houses, caves, etc). We ask the soldiers what they’re doing, and the answer is «research».

The settlers approach us, shouting: «Welcome to our country!» We now ask the settlers what they’re doing in Yanoun, and the answer is: «We’re tourists». Ok, not research, after all, then.. I ask if it’s normal for Israelis bringing soldiers on their holiday, and with a smirk upon his face, one of the settlers answers: «Yes, of course!»..

The settlers were "buddies" with the soldiers

All the time, the EAPPI-team documents everything; we take pictures, film, ask questions. The soldiers don’t say much. A couple of them (very young) seem asahmed, looking down or turning their backs on everything that’s going on..

EAPPI-colleague Máiréad documenting

Over and over, we repeat that they’re on private property. The answer we get is not surprising, yet disturbing: «This is Israel. We are the IDF, so this is our land!»

The «visit» is coming to an end, and «the tourists» have made their point this early Sunday morning. Everyone in the village is anxious, someone scared. They have encountered so much the last 15 years..

As they are leaving, one of the settlers, eager to discuss with (and trying to provoke) the EAPPI-team, delivers this comment right in our faces: «Your grandfathers killed my family. Go home, leave us alone with the Arabs. We know the job.»

The EAPI-team remain silent. Camera rolling..