المكتب الوطني للدفاع عن الارض ومقاومة الاستيطان منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية
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By: Madeeha Araj,
The National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements said in his latest weekly report , that every olive harvest season in Palestine witnesses assaults by the Israeli extremist settlers against the Palestinian citizens, express their full support to the Jewish terror organizations in the West Bank of which the so-called “Hills Youth Organization” that recruited settlers aged between 16 – 25, therewith the Israeli Governments refuses to classify it as a terrorist organization, but label it as unlicensed one despite the very many crimes it has committed against the Palestinians. Moreover, the Hills Youth members gather in the settlement outposts hold their meetings in strict secrecy, and put forward their plans to attack the Palestinians and their properties. Knowing that the organization is led by the grandson of the extreme rabbi, Meir Kahane, who is responsible for the burning of the Dawabsheh family’s house, killing 3 of its members in the Doma village, burning the Fish and Bread Church in the Tiberia’s shore, and damaging properties and vehicles of the citizens in the villages and towns of Howara, Burin, Oreef and Asira Qibleia, Mughaier, Doma, Majdal Bani Fadil and other villages of the Jordan valley.
Within the context, the Israeli courts do its utmost to innocent the elements of Jewish terrorism, not to arrest them, but to release them, and gradually reduce the charges against them, as was the case with those who participated in the burning of the house of the Dawabshe family in 2015, claiming he is minor. Although the court acknowledged the existence of a “Jewish organization” that includes hundreds of extremist members, still the attacks and crimes of the organization is continued without impediment.
As for the ongoing settlement plans, Israeli internal discussion revealed the existence of a so-called “development plan for the parties”, which, according to the Israeli concept, is to get rid of the Jerusalem neighborhoods adjacent to the Apartheid Wall, and other that are densely populated in the occupied Jerusalem. The plan was disclosed a few days ago by former Jerusalem police chief, Mickey Levy, and the ex-mayor of the so-called the Jerusalem Municipality, Nir Barkat, where Levy warned that unless most East Jerusalem neighborhoods are driven behind the wall within 20 years, the mayor of the municipality will be Palestinian.
Estimations by the National Bureau showed that the mostly targeted area of such measures is the one behind the wall towards Ramallah, such as Kafr Aqab, Samir Amis, Shu’fat, Sawahri, and all other densely populated neighborhoods that will be gotten out of the so-called Jerusalem Municipal’s borders. Therefore, reducing the number of the Palestinians in the city of Jerusalem to less than 20%
On the other hand, a new robbery of the Palestinian lands and their properties, as the Israeli Occupation Authorities are planning to seize 700 donums of the village of Qariot, south of Nablus in order to expand the Eliyah settlement. Recent confrontations between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli forces showed that the targeted area is the Btishah area, where a settlement will be established, while settlers from the settlement of “Salit” have started to raze areas of Palestinian land in the al-Hama area near the the Givat Shalit outpost that was established in 2016.
At the international level, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the OPT, Michael Link, called on the international community to impose a total ban on the export of all products made in settlements, and to publish the blacklist of companies working there.
In the weekly attacks documented by the National Bureau, including attacking citizens during the harvesting of olives, stealing crops and cutting olive trees, the Palestinian countrysidelived a large number of settler attacks in various governorates of the West Bank, but the most were concentrated in Nablus governorate. The governorate witnessed extensive attacks by the army and settlers, where the Israeli occupation forces suppressed the participants on a volunteer day to harvest olive fruits in the village of al-Lubban, south of Nablus, in the lands near the settlement of ‘Eli , built on the village’s land, and beat some of them, and fired sound and gas bombs in the place. . It is worth mentioning that more than 3500 dunums in the area are not allowed access without coordination for a few days a year. Israeli soldiers prevented the families from Madama village south of Nablus from reaching their land in the area to harvest olive trees and pruning the trees on the pretext that this area is adjacent to Yitzhar settlement and that it is not covered by security coordination. The olives from their land in Qaryut village south of Nablus, where they targeted tear gas canisters while they were heading to area in the western side of the village. A group of settlers stole olives from the lands of Shafi Shomron, west of Nablus, where residents were surprised that their olives had been stolen . Settlers from the Yesh Kodesh outpost attacked an uninhabited house between the villages of Jalud and Qusra south of Nablus . Three Palestinian civilians were injured after being beaten by settlers from the Givat Ronin outpost on the lands of Burin village, south of Nablus. Settlers damaged the tires of a number of vehicles in the town of Yatma , south of Nablus, and brandished racist and inflammatory slogans directed against the Arab presence in Palestine, including a greeting from the hill in Yitzhar, a closed military zone, as well as some Talmudic slogans.
In the Salfit governorate, settlers from the settlement of “Brukhin” attacked Palestinian farmers in the towns of Kafr al-Dik and Burqin, west of Salfit, on the pretext that they are state property. The settlers placed a check around the land and an iron gate, planted it with grape trees, and laid water lines there, under the pretext that it is classified as area “C” and that they are state property. Settlers also stole olives from the area, and seized olive harvesting equipment belonging to citizens of the village of Yasuf .
A list of Israeli Occupation and Settlers’ Assaults over the Last Week, Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Breaking into the Al-Arba’en Mosque in the Isawiya town, under the pretext of searching for children.
- Demolishing the house of the martyr Ali Hassan Khalifa in Qalandia refugee camp, north of Jerusalem
- Forcing a Jerusalemite Sultan Bashir to demolish his 50 m2 in the Jabal Al-Mukaber, southeast of Jerusalem, under the pretext of being close to the “American street”, which leads to the “illegal” US consulate in Jerusalem.
Ramallah:
- Attacking farmers in their lands in Umm Safa village, northwest of Ramallah in the “Ghabat” area, preventing them from reaching the area.
- Invading the Al-Shu’ib area between the villages of Burqa and Beitin east of Ramallah, preventing citizens from harvesting olives, fired tear gas canisters at them.
- Demolishing the house of the Abu Hamid family in the al-Am’ari Refugee Camp in Ramallah for the 5TH times under the pretext that it was built on a confiscated land.
Hebron:
- Bulldozing a one km main road linking Sa’ir town with a number of its neighboring towns and villages in Wadi Al-Sharq and Jabal Qatia areas, under the pretext of being close to the bypass road number 60, which connects Jerusalem with Hebron. Funded by the Dutch Representative in cooperation with the Municipality and the Agricultural Work Committees. It serves about 1000 dunums of citizens.
- Attacking the Jouda al-Ja’bari near the Rajabi building that was taken over by settlers, causing panic and fear.
- Preventing a number of members of the Abu-Eid and Al-Warasneh families from reaching their lands east of Surif town, Hebron Governorate.
Bethlehem:
- Confiscating a concrete mixer in the Al-Jaba’a village, west of Bethlehem under the pretext being located in Area C.
- Invading the Ein Joiza and Zeitouna areas in Al-Walaja village west of Bethlehem and performed Talmudic rituals.
Nablus:
- Attacking farmers and olives and activists to harvest the olive in the Al-Laban village, south of Nablus. Beaten some of them and fired sound and gas bombs. Knowing that more than 3500 donums in the area are not accessible but in advance permit given the occupation authorities.
- Wounding 3 citizens after they were beaten by settlers in the village of Burin, south of Nablus, stolen their equipment and olives.
- Damaging a number of vehicles in the Yatma town, south of Nablus, and written racist and Talmudic slogans.
Salfeet:
- Bulldozing 50 donums of olive trees in the Kafr al-Dik and Barqin villages, west of Salfit, under the pretext that it is a State property in area C., stolen olive crops in the area in addition to olive harvesting equipment belonging to citizens of Yasuf village, including mattresses, ladders and a harvesting machine.
Jordan Valley:
- Opening a new settlement road on the lands of Khalat Hamad in the northern Jordan Valley.
