The United States imposed sanctions on the security coordinator of the Yitzhar settlement due to his involvement in violent settler activities against Palestinians, as well as on the Hashomer Yosh organization, which assists farms and farmers in the occupied territories, some of whom have been already sanctioned by the U.S.
In the statement from the U.S. State Department, it was said:
“The Department of State is imposing sanctions on Hashomer Yosh, an Israeli nongovernmental organization that provides material support to U.S.-designated outpost Meitarim Farm, and U.S.-designated individuals Yinon Levi, Neriya Ben Pazi and Zvi Bar Yosef. After all 250 Palestinian residents of Khirbet Zanuta were forced to leave in late January, Hashomer Yosh volunteers fenced off the village to prevent the residents from returning. The volunteers also provided support by grazing the herds and purporting to “guard” the outposts of U.S.-designated individuals.”
The official objectives of the Hashomer Yosh organization are to “reinforce safety, security, and the Jewish presence in agricultural areas in Judea and Samaria, by responding in real-time – with the help of volunteers and field coordinators, and by collaborating with communities, civilian bodies, and government entities.”
In practice, the organization sends volunteers, either individuals or organized groups from educational institutions, to carry out guarding and assistance activities at farm outposts throughout the West Bank. With the help of these volunteers, a handful of settlers (usually one family and a few volunteer youths) manage to establish a farm, seize thousands of dunams, and push Palestinian farmers off the land. Nearly 100 such agricultural farms have been established in recent years, controlling hundreds of thousands of dunams.
For some of the farm outposts, violence is one of the practices used to take over the land. The residents of the outpost, or those coming to assist them, drive away Palestinian shepherds and farmers from the area through threats and sometimes physical violence. Hundreds of testimonies and videos from recent years demonstrate the violence associated with these farm outposts, and there have been cases where settlers wearing Hashomer Yosh shirts and hats have been documented attacking peace and anti-occupation activists and driving away Palestinian families from the land.
Video: Settler Zvi Bar-Yosef (who is under U.S. and other sanctions) wearing a Hashomer Yosh hat, expelling a Palestinian family.
Some Facts About Hashomer Yosh:
- – The organization was founded in 2013 to assist in establishing and consolidating illegal farm outposts in the West Bank.
- – The organization operates hundreds of volunteers, mainly teenagers, who live in illegal farm outposts and assist farm owners with grazing and agricultural work and in the systematic expulsion of Palestinians from the area.
- – Most of the organization’s budget comes from government support funded by Israeli taxpayers. From 2020 to 2023, it received an average of about 1.8 million shekels per year from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Negev and Galilee. Since 2018, Hashomer Yosh has received a total of 8,377,330 shekels from the state.
- – Hashomer Yosh volunteers have been documented multiple times engaging in violence against Palestinians or peace activists.
- – The organization offers several volunteer tracks: hundreds of regular farm volunteers (mainly teenagers who have dropped out of formal education) who live and work on the farm and receive support and guidance from the organization, Torah lessons, and basic spoken Arabic courses; hundreds of volunteers in organized groups (pre-military academies, yeshivas, seminaries, etc.) who come to the farms for workdays or concentrated periods; volunteers from nearby settlements.
- – Hashomer Yosh provides equipment, clothing, and meals to volunteers and farm owners.
- – Hashomer Yosh employs six field coordinators with company cars and additional staff who operate a volunteer placement center, and more.
Among the Outposts Where Hashomer Yosh Operates:
- – In South Hebron Hills: Abraham’s Farm (Shabtai’s Farm), Negohot Farm, Har Sinai Farm, Talya Farm, Ma’ale Hever Farm; Ma’on Farm, Makneh Yehuda Farm, Yehuda Farm.
- – In the Bethlehem Area: Pnei Kedem Farm, Kashuala Farm, Neve Uri Farm, Ma’ale Amos Farm.
- – In Central West Bank: Zvi Bar-Yosef’s Farm (under U.S. sanctions), Neria Ben-Pazi’s Farm (under U.S. sanctions), Eretz HaTzvi Farm, Nahal Shilo Farm, Ahavat Olam Farm, Sde Efraim, Tzon Keidar Farm, Mishkanot HaRoim Farm, LeKhatchila Farm, Magnezi Farm, Micha Farm, Herzlikh Farm (Tapuach), Malachei HaShalom.
- – In the Northern West Bank: Itamar Farm, Alumot Farm, Pninei Farm, Hashkedim Farm, Avnei Hefetz Farm, Al Neveh Farm, Yetedot Farm, Nof Avi Farm, Emek Dotan Farm.
- – In the Jordan Valley: Eretz Shemesh Farm, Umm Zuka Farm, Didi’s Farm, Goshen Farm, Shirat Ha’Hasavim Farm (Zuriel).
Shabtai’s farm, is one of the farms where Hashomer Yosh operates. A single-family with a handful of volunteers is taking control of thousands of dunams.