Freelance photo-video journalist Cole Yeoman first visited Palestine five years ago where he made initial connections, and returned this year where he met up with Palestinian Christians.
Yeoman attended a week-long conference in Bethlehem organised by Palestinian Christians earlier this year, and decided to remain in Palestine following the conference to connect with other local communities and document the occupation.
Children watching homes bulldozed in Umm Al Khair. Photo / Cole Yeoman
“One opportunity would lead to the next, and I was just very fortunate to connect with some incredible people… Pretty intense and broken and beautiful things.”
Yeoman, from Christchurch, spent much of his time in Masafer Yatta, a region in the southern West Bank, where he stayed on a farm in the Palestinian village of At-Tuwani.
“That’s by far, I reckon, one of the most intense spots where the occupation is most visible in its really active form. You’ve got house demolitions, settler attacks, soldiers committing the incursions into these villages each day, land grabs ... It’s very visible and obvious.”
Yeoman, along with Palestinian farm owner Hafez, and a Swiss national, had a tense encounter with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) after a confrontation with settlers.
“[Hafez] has the papers, it’s clearly his land, but these three settlers from a neighbouring settlement came down, armed with M16 rifles, really aggressive. They came up, started shoving Hafez, and verbally abusing him. They came over and angrily demanded to see our identification.
“When the military turned up, not the police ... They kind of ignored the initial situation, but accused us of not identifying to the first settler who came up, who, it turned out, was actually a soldier in a very sloppy, casual uniform.”
He and the Swiss national were then detained.
“We were taken to a remote hillside in the back of this military Jeep, parked up for about an hour and a half, then taken to a military base nearby,” he said.
Yeoman said they were then loaded into a police van, where a Palestinian man was zip-tied and blindfolded.
“It was a very clear contrast in how we were treated as internationals versus Palestinians.”
Hafez working his farmland with settler shepherds and soldiers behind him. Photo / Cole Yeoman
“That was one of the more terrifying parts. Not so much being detained, because worst case for us was deportation, but more the fear for this Palestinian man. We could be the last people outside of prison to see him for the next six months [if he was placed in administrative detention] ... Fortunately, he was released within an hour, which suggests there wasn’t a reason to detain him in the first place. It’s all about intimidation.”
The group were held overnight, and required to return four days later for an interrogation, which led to a two-week ban from the West Bank.
The military held on to their passports, only returning them the day before departure after proof of leaving was shown.
“I think this story shows just how ridiculous the injustices are and how the police, settlers, and army all work together. But it’s nothing compared to what Palestinians face.”
Yeoman also witnessed the demolition of 11 houses in the Palestinian village of Um Al Khair, within Masafer Yatta, which left 38 people, including 30 children, homeless.
“You’ve got women shouting, children crying, men yelling, and just utter chaos. They’re all being held back by these lines of army and police personnel so they can’t reach their house.
“We just watched as these massive bulldozers rolled towards the houses and just crunched and smashed through it and again and again, pummelling down on the roof, just obliterating it to pieces. And then once they’re finished destroying one house, they just roll on to the next.
“This is in the middle of summer, so that’s their shelter, that’s their shade, that’s their air conditioning, gone for all these families with young kids. And it’s their memories. It’s their homes.”
Now back in New Zealand, Yeoman plans to use their footage and experiences to raise awareness.
“I’m pulling it together to share it with people… going around speaking, meeting with communities, people who are interested in the stories, meeting with politicians, meeting with faith leaders.”
