Violation: Prevention of olive picking by Israeli colonists.
Location: Qaryut, southern Nablus.
Date: October 25, 2009.
Violators: Shilo, Eli, Rachelim (Shvut Rahel), and Ma'ale Levona colonists.
Victims: Qaryut Farmers.
Details: despite the agony they faced last olive picking seasons because of the colonists living in four different colonies that surround Qaryut, Qaryut villagers havebeen waiting patiently for the current season. Unfortunately, they had to face rather worse aggressions than the ones they have faced during the previous years. The violations this season included:
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The Israeli Occupation Authorities have specified certain times where the farmers can reach their lands for olive picking. The duration was 3 days (from September 17 to 19); the duration was not even close to enough because of the mountainous nature of the lands and the long distance that separates it from the village center. About 9 thousand dunums out of the total of 14 thousand which entails the Village total area are considered “Closed Military Zone” and the villagers are not allowed to reach it (60% of the land used to be planted with serials and was considered the main source of income for many farmers). Since the beginning of the second Intifada, the land owners were not able to reach their lands because of the colonists and the Israeli Forces harassments. Israeli occupation forces prevent the farmers from reaching their lands except during the olive picking season. These lands locations are:
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- The western Marah, Al San'a, Khillat Al Shareeq, and the western Karmel near Eli colony.
- Seilon and Murjan near Shilo.
- Ras Moyse, Ein al Hamam, and Al Sahel area near Shvut Rahel.
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In addition to lands located near the outposts of Hival, Gil'ad, Had Ma'ad, and Eli B.
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The pursuit of farmers by colonist and, sometimes, shooting at them using rubber or live bullets despite the fact that the farmers had made the needed coordination to get to their lands during the olive picking season. The colonists’ aggressive attacks have resulted in the injury of number of farmers. On September 25th, 2009, a group of Shvut Rahel colonists attacked a group of farmers in Ein al Hamam area. The attack resulted in the injury of number of farmers including 70 years old Mohammad Shihada Mokbil who received several wounds and a broken shoulder when the colonists attacked him and tried to drag him out of his land while harvesting his olive trees. Mr. Mokbil owns about 40 dunums of land in the area since he was a young man and he has the deeds that prove his ownership; he used to plant it with wheat and vegetables alongside olives. It must be noted that it is not the first time that such attacks happen to a man who considers his land as precious as one of his children. Isra'a Rawhi Badawi (22) was also injured in the attack.
Mohammad stated:' nothing is left from Qaryut. Colonization devoured land, trees, and it intends to devour people as well. Qaryut is an agricultural village and it's turning into a ghost village while it used to be a meeting point for all the agricultural villages in the area. They confiscated my land, a total area of 80 dunums. It was planted with wheat and olive. My father and I planted it and my siblings used to live in it; it was the only source of living for all of us, sadly, it is lost now. I try to get to it everyday, but they attack me and in the end, they uprooted or torched the olive trees. Not only did they confiscate lands, but the violations also include assaulting villagers using melee weapons or fire arms and restricting the movement of the villagers'.
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On October 23, 2009, the settlers uprooted 5 olive trees which belonged to Abdul Baset Tayseer Nobani in Wad 'Ali area near the colony of Eli. It is not the first time that such sabotages happen; Last year, during the olive picking season, torching and breaking of olive trees alongside thefts of yields were reported while the Israeli Police did nothing but watch the incidents.
Mr. Abdul Nasser Badawi, president of the village council said:' every year, the settlers attack the Palestinian farmers and brutally beat them; they’ve assaulted Abdul Ghani, Jaber Al Khateeb family, Abu Wa'el and his sons. An olive picking season without pain has become a dream. I doubt that the Israeli Authorities will ever think about interfering in order to stop the colonists’ attacks despite the fact that there was coordination done by the occupation forces. However, the days were not even enough for harvesting olive in the areas near the colonies'.
Qaryut Village:
It is located 20 km to the south east of Nablus city; a 4.5 km road connects the village to Nablus-Jerusalem road, the road has been closed by the Israeli Occupation Authorities since 2000. Its total area is about 8471 dunum, 312 dunums of residential areas. 2321 people live in the village.
The Israeli Occupation Authorities expropriated about 1332 dunums for the expansion of the following colonies:
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Shilo: established in 1978; its share of Qaryut lands was about 779 dunums and the residential area of the settlement is about 1347. Pic1
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Eli: established in 1984; its share of Qaryut lands was about 553 dunums and the residential area of the settlement is about 3360.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
