Basel Adra Demands End to Israeli Impunity in West Bank
Basel Adra Demands End to Israeli Impunity in the West Bank During Rome Event
Palestinian activist, attorney, journalist, and Oscar-winning film director Basel Adra called for an end to the impunity granted to the Israeli government by Western governments during an event in Rome. Speaking at an initiative organized by a coalition of more than 20 organizations promoting the campaign to stop commerce with illegal settlements, Adra stated that the situation in the West Bank will only change when the Italian government and other Western governments stop guaranteeing impunity to the Israeli government.
Ongoing Demolitions in Masafer Yatta
Adra described ongoing destruction occurring in real time during his remarks in Rome, pointing to military operations in the southern West Bank. “Today while I am talking with you, in this precise instant, Israeli bulldozers are destroying houses in Masafer Yatta,” Adra stated, according to an interview with askanews. He noted that these demolitions happen almost every week, leaving families without homes and forcing them to seek shelter in dangerous old caves.
Olive Harvest Violence and Attacks on Foreign Nationals
The director detailed how Israeli soldiers and settlers have turned the seasonal olive harvest into a conflict zone. According to Adra, farmers face regular assaults, crop thefts, and fatal violence while gathering their crops. He highlighted recent incidents involving foreign and domestic media professionals and diplomats, noting that settlers recently attacked European diplomats near the village of Taybeh, northeast of Ramallah, and assaulted Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine in the village of Abu Falah, east of Ramallah.
Dismissal of Upcoming Israeli Elections
Adra rejected the political significance of upcoming Israeli leadership changes, pointing to the scheduled October 27 elections as irrelevant to Palestinian realities. “Do not speak to me about the Israeli government or a possible change in the current leadership of Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir,” Adra said, explaining that Palestinians hold extensive experience with successive administrations that maintain the same expansionist policies. He emphasized that politicians across both the Israeli governing coalition and the political opposition openly pledge to continue supporting settlements and the expansion of colonies.