No Electricity Supply in Kafr Qaddum village under the 40 years of Israeli Occupation

December 4, 2007

For the past 40 years of military occupation of the West Bank the Israeli occupation authorities have continued to deprive the village of Kafr Qaddum, Qalqiliay governorate, from electricity supply. In 1999, the Belgian government donated an electric generator and network to provide the village with electricity. As soon as the project was completed in the year 2000 the Israeli authorities responded by preventing the beneficiary people from taking advantage of the project under the pretext that the generator is located near the local road that links the village with the main road 55 connecting between Qalqiliya and Nablus although this local road has been closed for Palestinian traffic since the year 2000 for being close to the colony of Kaddomim. Later on, the occupation authorities went further in their allegations by claiming that the 'generator' is located in an area classified as a closed military zone prohibited for any Palestinian use without prior licensing from the Israeli side.

(Photo 1: The closed local road between the village of Kafr Qaddum
and road number 55 passing by Kaddomim colony on which the generator is located)

Ever since, the Kafr Qaddum's village council has approached many international and humanitarian organizations for intervention, and the DCO (district coordination office) as well as the Israeli so-called supreme court of Justice- three attempts the latest of which was in last September- yet to no avail.

To cope with the 40 year- long tragic situation imposed by the occupation the village citizens are accustomed to using individual small generators that depend on solar and gasoline in addition to kerosene and gas torches for illumination. However, under the current frantic increase in fuel prices and the prevailing miserable economic conditions the village citizens are no longer capable to cover the expenses.

Keeping farmers away from their land

The Israeli occupation forces continue to keep Palestinian farmers away from their most fertile agricultural lands located in the vicinity of the of kaddomim settlement block under security pretexts. The latest incidents of prevention and dismissal took place during the last olive harvesting season during the months of October and November despite the fact that the process of olive picking was coordinated by the DCO. Amongst the reasons given for that is the 'noise that is caused by the olive pickers to Israeli settlers in these colonies'. In the past, about 55% of the village inhabitants were depending on these olive groves as main income.

On the other hand, the construction of the Segregation Wall has led to the destruction or separation of thousands dunums of agricultural land affiliated to the village.

Introduction to Kafr Qadum

The village of Kafr Qadum is located Qalqiliya governorate, 12 km to the west of Nablus city and 25 km to the east of Qalqiliya city. The village's total land area is 17161 dunums (one dunum equals 1000 M2) of which only 398 dunums are built up area. 2500 dunums of the village land area are grazing zones, 5000 dunums have been taken for the construction of Kaddomim colony and its future colonial expansion and the remaining areas are agricultural fields of which 85 % are covered with olive trees. Out of 640 families there are 280 families who totally depend on foreign aid for survival due to the ongoing Israeli military closure and ensuing economic hardships.

Map 1: Location of Kafr Qaddum & the Israeli colonies

Photo 2: a General View of Kafr Qaddum village

Kaddomim colony

The colony of Kaddomim was established in 1975 and then extended north and south to become one of the biggest colonies in the occupied West Bank. During this on going expansion process, the colony of Kaddomim Illit (Kaddomim North) as well as the colony of Jabel Mohammed (Kaddomim South) were also founded at the expense of the lands of the Palestinian village of Kafr Qaddum. At the end of 2005, the total number of settlers living in these three colonies mounted to 3087, while their built up area was 1003 dunums and municipal boundaries was 2039 dunums (Source: Foundation for Middle East Peace).