Remove a Violent Settler from the West Bank and Ensure Palestinian Farmers are Protected
- ACRI
- Mar 11
- 3 min read
On June 29, 2025, ACRI submitted a petition on behalf of 12 farmers from the Wadi Fara area in the Jordan Valley, who have been unable to reach their plots of land and cultivate them since October 2023 due to harassment by the settler Moshe Sharvit. Sharvit is the founder and leader of Emek Tirtza Farm, a violent and unauthorized outpost established near the petitioners' land.
Sharvit is notorious for his violence and criminality. International sanctions have been imposed on Sharvit and his outpost, and in March 2025 a restraining order was issued against him to prevent his threats and harassment of the local farmers—an order that he routinely violates. Sharvit's openly stated goal is to drive Palestinian residents from the area by force. In October 2023, he blocked, on his own initiative, the access road leading to the petitioners' land. Since then, any Palestinian farmer who dares to try to reach their land is subjected to threats, harassment, and attacks by Sharvit. The livelihood of the farmers, their families, and the workers they employed has been cut off, and the economic damage has been severe.
ACRI's petition describes the numerous instances of threats, attacks, and harassment by Sharvit and his associates, and the weak response of the IDF, which tells Palestinian farmers to accept the restrictions that Sharvit imposes on them, or acts in a way that reinforces those restrictions. The farmers' attempts to coordinate a time with the army to access their plots and cultivate them safely were unsuccessful. Five appeals submitted by ACRI to army officials also went nowhere. In this petition, ACRI requested that the military commander exert his authority to remove Sharvit from the West Bank, or at least from the agricultural and residential areas of the petitioners. We also requested the removal of the barrier that Sharvit erected, and that the petitioners be allowed to reach their agricultural lands and work them routinely, safely, and without interference.
The petition argues that the army's failure to protect the farmers results in their dispossession and violates their rights to life, bodily integrity, dignity, property, and freedom of movement. Additionally, according to international humanitarian law, Palestinian residents in the West Bank are protected residents, and the military commander is obligated to protect them and their private property; promote their welfare; and maintain public order, security, and their normal way of life. The court has repeatedly emphasized the army's duty to actively safeguard protected residents from violence and lawbreaking, especially when it is directed against them systematically, and to provide effective protection for farmers that enables them safe access to their land.
On February 26, 2026, the Supreme Court issued a conditional order directing the State to explain why it would not remove the settler from the lands he had expropriated and ensure that local residents were able to cultivate their lands.
On March 5, 2026, ACRI submitted an updated notice to the court, detailing a series of additional incidents in which the settler and his associates continued to attack, invade, attempt to expel, prevent grazing, and cause bodily and property damage to the petitioners and their neighbors. We reiterated our request that an interim order be issued, according to which, until the petition is decided, the settler would not be able to enter the petitioners' property and the army would be obligated to enforce the order. The Supreme Court granted our request on March 11, 2026 and issued an interim order informing the army that it must remove the settler and those operating on his behalf from all the territories they had taken over until another decision is made.
HCJ 66192-06-25 Zamel v. Commander of IDF Forces in the West Bank
Attorney: Reut Shaer, Hila Sharon
ACRI's petition, June 26, 2025 (Heb)
The petition was written with the assistance of field coordinator Muhannad Anati and intern Yotam Rotfeld
Petitioners' response to the State's request for an extension, January 2026 (Heb)
Petitioners' response to the State's updated notice, February 2026 (Heb)
The decision (Conditional Order), February 26, 2026 (Heb)
Petitioners' updated notice, March 2026 (Heb)
The decision (Interim Order), March 2026 (Heb)
