30 dec 2014
The Palestinian Agriculture Development Association said Monday that farmers in the West Bank have sent 7.2 tons of olive oil to the people of Gaza.
In its press release, the association underlined that its crews managed to collect 7.2 tons of olive oil from more than 30 agricultural areas throughout the West Bank.
Hundreds of West Bank farmers have participated in the campaign organized by the Palestinian Agriculture Development Association during the olive harvest.
The Association had earlier organized a relief campaign throughout Palestinian cities and towns in the West Bank and within the Green Line in support of Gaza.
In its press release, the association underlined that its crews managed to collect 7.2 tons of olive oil from more than 30 agricultural areas throughout the West Bank.
Hundreds of West Bank farmers have participated in the campaign organized by the Palestinian Agriculture Development Association during the olive harvest.
The Association had earlier organized a relief campaign throughout Palestinian cities and towns in the West Bank and within the Green Line in support of Gaza.
7 dec 2014
Palestinian farmer Abbas Yusef, 70, looks towards his olive trees, which are bearing their annual fruit, on land either side of an Israeli settlement in the northern occupied West Bank, on Oct. 28, 2014
Israeli settlers, on Saturday, attacked Palestinian homes in the Hebron neighborhood of al-Ja‘bari with stones, while Israeli soldiers stood by and watched indifferently, and without taking any actions to stop them, WAFA reports.
Hurling stones at the homes, the extremists cursed the owners and shouted anti-Arab racist slogans, including “Death to the Arabs”, spreading panic and fear among Palestinian locals.
Locals called upon human rights organizations to intervene and provide them with protection.
See: Government Sponsored Price Tag by Eli Aminov
In the Nablus village of Aqraba, on Friday, Israeli settlers again cut down over 50 olive trees.
Over 7,500 olive trees were damaged or destroyed by settlers between January and mid-October in 2012, according to OCHA.
Ma'an News Agency reports that settler violence against Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank is systematic, and is ignored by Israeli authorities who rarely intervene in the attacks or prosecute the perpetrators.
Israeli settlers, on Saturday, attacked Palestinian homes in the Hebron neighborhood of al-Ja‘bari with stones, while Israeli soldiers stood by and watched indifferently, and without taking any actions to stop them, WAFA reports.
Hurling stones at the homes, the extremists cursed the owners and shouted anti-Arab racist slogans, including “Death to the Arabs”, spreading panic and fear among Palestinian locals.
Locals called upon human rights organizations to intervene and provide them with protection.
See: Government Sponsored Price Tag by Eli Aminov
In the Nablus village of Aqraba, on Friday, Israeli settlers again cut down over 50 olive trees.
Over 7,500 olive trees were damaged or destroyed by settlers between January and mid-October in 2012, according to OCHA.
Ma'an News Agency reports that settler violence against Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank is systematic, and is ignored by Israeli authorities who rarely intervene in the attacks or prosecute the perpetrators.
6 dec 2014
A group of fanatic Israeli settlers invaded, Friday, a Palestinian olive orchard belonging to a resident of ‘Aqraba village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and cut at least 50 trees.
Palestinian official Ghassan Daghlas, in charge of Israeli settlements file in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, said the settlers came from Elon Moreh illegal settlement.
Daghlas added that the orchard belongs to Sa’id Bani Jame’, from Juhr ed-Deek neighborhood, in ‘Aqraba village.
The official also said the settlers damaged several other olive trees during the attack, and fled the scene.
He added the villagers filed a complaint to the Israeli District Coordination Office (DCO), through the Palestinian DCO office in Nablus.
Extremist Israeli settlers, illegally living in the occupied West Bank, are responsible for the destruction of dozens of thousands of Palestinian trees, in addition to constant attacks against homes and property.
The attacks include burning and trying to burn mosques and churches, in addition to defacing graveyards and destroying tombstones, in the West Bank, and in occupied Jerusalem.
The fanatics repeatedly defaced property, and wrote racist graffiti, such as “Death to Arabs," in addition to graffiti that includes direct insults to Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary and Prophet Mohammad.
Palestinian official Ghassan Daghlas, in charge of Israeli settlements file in the northern part of the occupied West Bank, said the settlers came from Elon Moreh illegal settlement.
Daghlas added that the orchard belongs to Sa’id Bani Jame’, from Juhr ed-Deek neighborhood, in ‘Aqraba village.
The official also said the settlers damaged several other olive trees during the attack, and fled the scene.
He added the villagers filed a complaint to the Israeli District Coordination Office (DCO), through the Palestinian DCO office in Nablus.
Extremist Israeli settlers, illegally living in the occupied West Bank, are responsible for the destruction of dozens of thousands of Palestinian trees, in addition to constant attacks against homes and property.
The attacks include burning and trying to burn mosques and churches, in addition to defacing graveyards and destroying tombstones, in the West Bank, and in occupied Jerusalem.
The fanatics repeatedly defaced property, and wrote racist graffiti, such as “Death to Arabs," in addition to graffiti that includes direct insults to Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary and Prophet Mohammad.
15 nov 2014
Dozens of activists planted hundreds of olive saplings in a land threatened with Israeli misappropriation to the east of Bethlehem.
Hassan Breijeh, the coordinator of the national anti-settlement committee in Bethlehem, said that 150 activists planted 700 olive seedlings in Kisan village on Friday.
He said that the plantlets were planted over an area of 50 dunums that the Israeli occupation authorities threatened to confiscate.
Breijeh said that the act was a clear message to the IOA that the land “is ours” and would never be forfeited.
He pointed out that the planting process was carried out despite attempts by Israeli occupation forces and settlers to impede its completion, adding that clashes took place with the IOF soldiers and settlers.
http://english.palinfo
Hassan Breijeh, the coordinator of the national anti-settlement committee in Bethlehem, said that 150 activists planted 700 olive seedlings in Kisan village on Friday.
He said that the plantlets were planted over an area of 50 dunums that the Israeli occupation authorities threatened to confiscate.
Breijeh said that the act was a clear message to the IOA that the land “is ours” and would never be forfeited.
He pointed out that the planting process was carried out despite attempts by Israeli occupation forces and settlers to impede its completion, adding that clashes took place with the IOF soldiers and settlers.
http://english.palinfo
7 nov 2014
Jewish settlers from Yitzhar settlement on Thursday evening sabotaged scores of olives trees in Burin town, south of Nablus city.
Social activist Abdullah Annajjar said the settlers destroyed the olive trees near the house of citizen Bashir Hamza in full view of Israeli soldiers, who did not intervene to stop what happened.
Najjar added that the saboteurs were five settlers, three of them were armed and are notorious for their hostile and racist activities against Palestinian farmers.
http://english.palinfo
Social activist Abdullah Annajjar said the settlers destroyed the olive trees near the house of citizen Bashir Hamza in full view of Israeli soldiers, who did not intervene to stop what happened.
Najjar added that the saboteurs were five settlers, three of them were armed and are notorious for their hostile and racist activities against Palestinian farmers.
http://english.palinfo
29 oct 2014
Today at approximately 1:30 PM in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), the head of security for the illegal settlements in the area attempted to destroy the property of a Palestinian man named Muhammad Knebi.
28th October 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Khalil Team
Settlers have been destroying the newly built fence owned by Muhammad Knebi since October. The fence was built to protect the Knebi family’s olive trees. Settlers have made several attempts to cut and break down the fence.
This afternoon, the head of settler security arrived on Muhammad’s land with a small tractor. He was accompanied by several soldiers from the Israeli army in addition to another settler from a nearby illegal settlement. They came in order to remove the large stones that were put behind the fence poles for added support.
The settlers also cut the fence with scissors. Jawad Abu Aisha, an activist from the Palestinian group Youth Against Settlements that helped Muhammad build the fence, sat on a stone to prevent the settlers from moving it. Jawad was detained for his actions for around half an hour.
The previous day the owner, Muhammad Knebi, had filed a complaint against the constant destruction of his fence and was then told by the Israeli police that if the settlers tried to take down his fence again he should call the Israeli army and they would stop the settlers.
Earlier today, neither the Israeli police nor the Israeli army made any attempts to stop or arrest the settlers for trespassing on private property and for the destruction of Muhammad’s fence. The Israeli soldiers had already received orders to prevent the settlers from destroying and cutting the fence but they did nothing to stop them.
Photos at ISM official.
28th October 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Khalil Team
Settlers have been destroying the newly built fence owned by Muhammad Knebi since October. The fence was built to protect the Knebi family’s olive trees. Settlers have made several attempts to cut and break down the fence.
This afternoon, the head of settler security arrived on Muhammad’s land with a small tractor. He was accompanied by several soldiers from the Israeli army in addition to another settler from a nearby illegal settlement. They came in order to remove the large stones that were put behind the fence poles for added support.
The settlers also cut the fence with scissors. Jawad Abu Aisha, an activist from the Palestinian group Youth Against Settlements that helped Muhammad build the fence, sat on a stone to prevent the settlers from moving it. Jawad was detained for his actions for around half an hour.
The previous day the owner, Muhammad Knebi, had filed a complaint against the constant destruction of his fence and was then told by the Israeli police that if the settlers tried to take down his fence again he should call the Israeli army and they would stop the settlers.
Earlier today, neither the Israeli police nor the Israeli army made any attempts to stop or arrest the settlers for trespassing on private property and for the destruction of Muhammad’s fence. The Israeli soldiers had already received orders to prevent the settlers from destroying and cutting the fence but they did nothing to stop them.
Photos at ISM official.
23 oct 2014
At approximately 09:30, on October 22nd, settlers from the illegal settlement of Yizhar set fire to a Palestinian olive field above Huwwara village, just outside of Nablus.
The settlers sat the land on fire from the top of the hill. People from the village started fighting the fire, but suddenly the wind turned and the flames started moving towards the illegal settlement on the top of the hill.
At this point the settlers started fighting their own fire, to prevent damage to their illegal buildings.
The owner of the land, Nasser Jihad Mufdi Houwwari, spoke to ISM about his previous experiences with settlers, in 2002 settlers from Yizhar shot Nasser in the shoulder with two bullets. Nasser continued to state that they [the settlers] threaten him and damage his properties every year, however this is the first time they burnt such a large area of his land.
Details: http://www.imemc.org/article/69476
The settlers sat the land on fire from the top of the hill. People from the village started fighting the fire, but suddenly the wind turned and the flames started moving towards the illegal settlement on the top of the hill.
At this point the settlers started fighting their own fire, to prevent damage to their illegal buildings.
The owner of the land, Nasser Jihad Mufdi Houwwari, spoke to ISM about his previous experiences with settlers, in 2002 settlers from Yizhar shot Nasser in the shoulder with two bullets. Nasser continued to state that they [the settlers] threaten him and damage his properties every year, however this is the first time they burnt such a large area of his land.
Details: http://www.imemc.org/article/69476
Israeli violations negatively impacting olive industry
Israeli authorities confiscated 20 dunams (approximately 5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land, today near the Jewish settlement bloc of Ariel, in the northern occupied West Bank. A UN official has noted that ongoing Israeli settler violence and imposed access restrictions continues to adversely affect the lives and livelihoods of Palestinians.
Israeli bulldozers in the Palestinian village of Haris, near the Barqan settlement, on Thursday, began razing some 20 dunams of agricultural lands, while dozens of Israelis from nearby Ariel came to participlate in destroying the fields.
Local resident Muhammad Suf told Ma'an News Agency that the lands belonged to his grandfather Ali Abed Daoud Jaber Suf, from Haris, near the Khillet Habiba area, just north of the Barqan settlement.
According to Ma'an, the seizure and destruction of Palestinian agricultural resources comes on the same day that Palestinian officials working in coordination with the local Committee Against Israel's Separation Wall and the Settlements announced that they had succeeded in saving 15 dunams of land from confiscation, just a few kilometers away, in the southwestern part of the Ariel settlement bloc.
A statement from the Salfit governorate said that the land, located in the village of Bruqin, had been under threat since its owners were served with an evacuation order, in 2013, which stated that the land was Israeli state property.
Representing the Committee Against Israel's Separation Wall and the Settlements, lawyer Alaa Mahajna manged to prove that the land was privately-owned Palestinian property that has been under constant cultivation by the owner.
Israeli authorities retracted the confiscation decision and officially recognized the land as private property.
OCHA official James Rawley stated, Thursday, that the ongoing settler violence, in conjunction with recurring access restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on Palestinians, with regard to olive groves, continues to negatively impact their lives and livelihoods.
According to WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency, Mr. Rawly (along with members of the diplomatic and donor community, the Ministry of Agriculture, and representatives of humanitarian organizations) visited the towns of al-Janiya in the Ramallah governorate, as well as Biddu in the Jerusalem governorate, today, where community representatives and olive farmers detailed the adverse effect that continued settler violence and access restrictions to their groves have had on their lives and livelihoods.
UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reportedly briefed the delegation on programs which are specifically dedicated to supporting al-Janiya and Biddu as productive olive-producing communities along others in the West Bank.
Mr. Rawly said that the annual olive harvest is a vital economic, social and cultural component for the Palestinian livelihood, because “nearly half of all cultivated land in the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt) is planted with olive trees.”
Olive-growing communities located between the apartheid wall and the 1967 borders, as well as in the vicinity of West Bank Israeli settlements, face serious challenges in maintaining and harvesting their olive crops. “This undermines livelihoods and increases dependency on aid,” a statement from the OCHA read.
Rawly called for immediate action in support of Palestinian olive farmers to ensure protection from settler attacks; accountability for their violence; the lifting of restrictions on land access; and support to olive producing communities.
He additionally warned that the ongoing neglect would lead to severe damage to the olive sector in the West Bank as, according to OCHA statistics, the olive oil industry constitutes 25% of Palestinians agricultural income.
In the period between 2006 to the end of September 2014, OCHA recorded over 2,300 settler-related incidents which resulted in Palestinian casualties or property damage in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
In 2013 alone, nearly 400 incidents of settlers’ violence against Palestinians in the oPt were accounted for by the OCHA.
Meanwhile, in the period from 2009 to the end of August 2014, nearly 50,000 fruit-bearing trees -- mainly olive trees -- were reported damaged or destroyed in such incidents.
Furthermore, approximately 150 Palestinian communities share land located between the Wall and the 1967 borders, with only 50% of the farmers allowed access to their land during the harvest, season in the last four years, revealed OCHA statistics.
On October 10th of this year, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) reported that an olive farmer, Mahmoud Eid along with his wife and three children were attacked by a group of Israeli settlers from ‘Giv’at Ya’akov’.
The family, present on its land near the village of Burin, to the south west of Nablus, was attacked by five male settlers. According to the ISM report, the settlers threw rocks at the family while Eid tried to protect his loved ones by covering them with the canvas usedto collect fallen olives.
Subsequently, the settlers physically attacked him, hitting him in the chest, stomach, head and foot, badly bruising him.
Mr. Eid's story is just one of many in which Palestinian civilians suffer from either severe physical injuries, loss of property, produce and trees or other forms of economic disenfranchisement.
WAFA correspondence further reports that a group of Israeli settlers recently broke into a privately owned Palestinian area of land near Tulkarem, in the northern occupied West Bank, where they stole 10 large sacks stuffed full of olives.
The farmer had left the crop about two days ago, after being assaulted by illegal Israeli settlers.
Since the beginning of the 1967 occupation of the West Bank, Israel has confiscated hundreds of thousands of dunums by declaring it state land.
Israeli authorities in 1968 banned Palestinians from registering their lands and subsequently took advantage of previously low rates of land registration to confiscate areas currently or previously in use by locals but not registered as such.
The confiscated lands are then used to construct Jewish-only settlements on the land, while further confiscation often uses the pretext of the settlements' security.
Israeli authorities confiscated 20 dunams (approximately 5 acres) of Palestinian-owned land, today near the Jewish settlement bloc of Ariel, in the northern occupied West Bank. A UN official has noted that ongoing Israeli settler violence and imposed access restrictions continues to adversely affect the lives and livelihoods of Palestinians.
Israeli bulldozers in the Palestinian village of Haris, near the Barqan settlement, on Thursday, began razing some 20 dunams of agricultural lands, while dozens of Israelis from nearby Ariel came to participlate in destroying the fields.
Local resident Muhammad Suf told Ma'an News Agency that the lands belonged to his grandfather Ali Abed Daoud Jaber Suf, from Haris, near the Khillet Habiba area, just north of the Barqan settlement.
According to Ma'an, the seizure and destruction of Palestinian agricultural resources comes on the same day that Palestinian officials working in coordination with the local Committee Against Israel's Separation Wall and the Settlements announced that they had succeeded in saving 15 dunams of land from confiscation, just a few kilometers away, in the southwestern part of the Ariel settlement bloc.
A statement from the Salfit governorate said that the land, located in the village of Bruqin, had been under threat since its owners were served with an evacuation order, in 2013, which stated that the land was Israeli state property.
Representing the Committee Against Israel's Separation Wall and the Settlements, lawyer Alaa Mahajna manged to prove that the land was privately-owned Palestinian property that has been under constant cultivation by the owner.
Israeli authorities retracted the confiscation decision and officially recognized the land as private property.
OCHA official James Rawley stated, Thursday, that the ongoing settler violence, in conjunction with recurring access restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on Palestinians, with regard to olive groves, continues to negatively impact their lives and livelihoods.
According to WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency, Mr. Rawly (along with members of the diplomatic and donor community, the Ministry of Agriculture, and representatives of humanitarian organizations) visited the towns of al-Janiya in the Ramallah governorate, as well as Biddu in the Jerusalem governorate, today, where community representatives and olive farmers detailed the adverse effect that continued settler violence and access restrictions to their groves have had on their lives and livelihoods.
UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) reportedly briefed the delegation on programs which are specifically dedicated to supporting al-Janiya and Biddu as productive olive-producing communities along others in the West Bank.
Mr. Rawly said that the annual olive harvest is a vital economic, social and cultural component for the Palestinian livelihood, because “nearly half of all cultivated land in the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPt) is planted with olive trees.”
Olive-growing communities located between the apartheid wall and the 1967 borders, as well as in the vicinity of West Bank Israeli settlements, face serious challenges in maintaining and harvesting their olive crops. “This undermines livelihoods and increases dependency on aid,” a statement from the OCHA read.
Rawly called for immediate action in support of Palestinian olive farmers to ensure protection from settler attacks; accountability for their violence; the lifting of restrictions on land access; and support to olive producing communities.
He additionally warned that the ongoing neglect would lead to severe damage to the olive sector in the West Bank as, according to OCHA statistics, the olive oil industry constitutes 25% of Palestinians agricultural income.
In the period between 2006 to the end of September 2014, OCHA recorded over 2,300 settler-related incidents which resulted in Palestinian casualties or property damage in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
In 2013 alone, nearly 400 incidents of settlers’ violence against Palestinians in the oPt were accounted for by the OCHA.
Meanwhile, in the period from 2009 to the end of August 2014, nearly 50,000 fruit-bearing trees -- mainly olive trees -- were reported damaged or destroyed in such incidents.
Furthermore, approximately 150 Palestinian communities share land located between the Wall and the 1967 borders, with only 50% of the farmers allowed access to their land during the harvest, season in the last four years, revealed OCHA statistics.
On October 10th of this year, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) reported that an olive farmer, Mahmoud Eid along with his wife and three children were attacked by a group of Israeli settlers from ‘Giv’at Ya’akov’.
The family, present on its land near the village of Burin, to the south west of Nablus, was attacked by five male settlers. According to the ISM report, the settlers threw rocks at the family while Eid tried to protect his loved ones by covering them with the canvas usedto collect fallen olives.
Subsequently, the settlers physically attacked him, hitting him in the chest, stomach, head and foot, badly bruising him.
Mr. Eid's story is just one of many in which Palestinian civilians suffer from either severe physical injuries, loss of property, produce and trees or other forms of economic disenfranchisement.
WAFA correspondence further reports that a group of Israeli settlers recently broke into a privately owned Palestinian area of land near Tulkarem, in the northern occupied West Bank, where they stole 10 large sacks stuffed full of olives.
The farmer had left the crop about two days ago, after being assaulted by illegal Israeli settlers.
Since the beginning of the 1967 occupation of the West Bank, Israel has confiscated hundreds of thousands of dunums by declaring it state land.
Israeli authorities in 1968 banned Palestinians from registering their lands and subsequently took advantage of previously low rates of land registration to confiscate areas currently or previously in use by locals but not registered as such.
The confiscated lands are then used to construct Jewish-only settlements on the land, while further confiscation often uses the pretext of the settlements' security.
