Truthout is a vital news source and a living history of political struggle. If you think our work is valuable, support us with a donation of any size.

Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American man who lives in Ohio, traveled to the occupied West Bank on Monday to help relatives defend their family home in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus. Israeli settlers have surrounded the home, which Ridi owns, for more than a week. Settlers have besieged several Palestinian houses in the village, trapping people inside and cutting off water and electricity in some cases.

“I’m not getting no protection here. I still fear for my life. I still fear for my family’s life here,” says Ridi, who joins Democracy Now! from the occupied West Bank. Ridi has raised an American flag on his home and reached out to the U.S. Embassy for help. “The IDF is not even making it better here. They’re not allowing us to leave the house. They’re not allowing anyone to come to my house freely,” says Ridi, explaining that getting food to the house takes “hours, if not days.”

The settlers “can act like this because of the active support from the Israeli government that gives them weapons, gives them ATVs,” says Israeli reporter Oren Ziv, who has traveled to Qusra twice in recent days. Ziv says the Israeli government also supports “the establishment of more and more [settler] outposts that are kind of front bases for these terror attacks.”

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

ANJALI KAMAT: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Anjali Kamat.

Israeli Settlers Cut Off Palestinian Farmers’ Water to Fill a Swimming Pool

We turn now to the occupied West Bank, where Israeli settlers are continuing to lay siege on homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus. The siege has attracted international attention, in part because one of the homes is owned by a Palestinian American. The U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee surprised many when he recently described the siege as a, quote, “horrific act of terror” being committed by, quote, “Israeli terrorists.”

Loui Ridi, who lives in Ohio, spoke to Reuters before he flew from the United States to the West Bank to protect his home there.

LOUI RIDI: I have a lot of emotion in Qusra. I was born and raised in Qusra. My mother, 83 years old, still in Qusra, my sisters, my brothers, my nieces, my nephews, my cousins, my friends.

LOUI RIDI: I have a lot of emotion in Qusra. I was born and raised in Qusra. My mother, 83 years old, still in Qusra, my sisters, my brothers, my nieces, my nephews, my cousins, my friends.

ANJALI KAMAT: Shortly after Loui Ridi landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, he received a video showing Israeli soldiers shaking the hands of the Israeli settlers laying siege to his home.

LOUI RIDI: When I landed, my brother sent me this video. That’s terrifying. That just happened like an hour ago. And they’re near the soldier. They’re shaking hands with the soldiers. That’s just happening today. I’m going to stay in this house tonight. So, I’m terrified. I’m asking the U.S. officials, the embassy, to provide me protection and to remove the settlers permanently from our village and my area.

LOUI RIDI: When I landed, my brother sent me this video. That’s terrifying. That just happened like an hour ago. And they’re near the soldier. They’re shaking hands with the soldiers. That’s just happening today. I’m going to stay in this house tonight. So, I’m terrified. I’m asking the U.S. officials, the embassy, to provide me protection and to remove the settlers permanently from our village and my area.

ANJALI KAMAT: Then, after Loui Ridi arrived back in the village of Qusra and reunited with his brother and other relatives, he raised an American flag on the roof of his home.

LOUI RIDI: I came here to be present with him. I left my luxury home in America. I left my luxury vehicles in America. I left my wife, my two daughters. I left my business and decided to be here at my home to protect it from the settlers to steal it, and raising the American flag to send the message........

© Truthout