On Monday, July 14, 2025, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court issued a restraining order against settler Shimon Atiya, prohibiting him from approaching the home of the al-Dal’in family in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair, located in the South Hebron Hills, within a distance of 50 meters. Atiya was documented repeatedly harassing the residents, entering their yard, staying there for extended periods, and frightening family members.
The restraining order request, submitted by attorney Snir Klein from the law office of Michael Sfard on behalf of the family, described dozens of incidents of violence, assault, and harassment by Atiya against the residents of Umm al-Khair and the al-Dal’in family in particular. Due to ongoing settler harassment, many residents of Umm al-Khair are no longer able to access grazing lands, and several families, including the al-Dal’ins, were forced to sell their herds—losing their primary source of livelihood.
Shimon Atiya is one of the founders of the illegal outpost “Shoreshim” Farm, established in 2022 about 800 meters from the homes of Umm al-Khair. Atiya and youths from the outpost frequently enter the village day and night, with or without livestock, assaulting, cursing, harassing, threatening, and intimidating residents, including women and children. Atiya has also been documented destroying and vandalizing residents’ property. Despite numerous complaints filed with the police, no action has been taken.
During the court hearing, Atiya claimed that the lands of the Carmel settlement—approximately 1,900 dunams—had been allocated to him for agricultural and grazing purposes. He argued that part of the family’s house and yard were included in that allocation, and therefore he was entitled to graze his flock there. His lawyer claimed that this was an expression of his “possession claim” over the area. The court rejected this argument, ruling that if Atiya believes he has rights to the land, he must pursue them through legal means and is forbidden from entering the family’s yard or harassing them.
Residents of Umm al-Khair, like many Palestinians living in Area C of the West Bank, suffer from repeated attacks by settlers from nearby Farms outposts, including physical violence and damage to property. Israeli police and security forces have failed to prevent these assaults, which have already led to the displacement of dozens of Palestinian communities from their homes.
Peace Now:“Settler violence poses an existential threat to the State of Israel. When the Israeli police fail to enforce the law and protect the vulnerable—whether because they are Palestinian or for other reasons—it means that the security forces are not only abandoning the weak and disenfranchised, but also undermining the very foundations of a sovereign state.”
Shimon Atiya in Um Al-Khair
