Kharsina Colonists Cut Down 50 Grapevines in Al Bweira

Violation: Sawing off grapevines using electrical saws.

Location: Al Bweira, east of the City of Hebron.

Date: September 19^th, 2010.

Details:

Colonists from the colony of Kharsina cut down tens of grapevines in a field owned by Mr. Abdel Rahman Shukri Sultan and his sons in the area of Al Bweira, located east of the City of Hebron. Mr. Mohammad Sultan indicated in an interview with the Land Research Center (LRC)’s field researcher that the colonists were present in the Sultan field in the evening of Sunday September 19^th, 2010. The next morning, Sultan continued, “we were devastated to see that tens of grapevines were cut while the network of wires holding them was destroyed“.

Photos 1 – 5: Damages caused by colonists in the Sulatan field

LRC’s field researcher observed around 50 grapevines that were sawed off from its bases while wires holding them were placed on the ground over an area of one dunum. The average age of the cut down vines is around 15 years old. When the Sultan’s saw the destroyed vines, they collected what they could of the matured grapes in an effort to save what can be saved.

Photo 6: The harvested grapes.

Mr. Mohammad Sultan pointed out that it was not the first time that colonists have targeted them and their fields. He said that about four years ago colonists cut down grapevines over an area of four dunums while continuously trying to prevent them from accessing their lands to cultivate it. The colonists have also damaged the irrigation networks and stole the crops.

Photo 7: Israeli colonies built on Al Bweira lands.

In terms of the damages that befell Mr. Sultan, he indicated that his immediate loss surpassed USD 6,000. He is determined to re-plant the field but, as he pointed out, it would take at least 5 years before the plant can produce good-quality grapes. In the background, Israeli bulldozers were seen working on land leveling to prepare for additional colonial housing units in the colony of Kharsina. The scene is a sign of painful sarcasm as everyone is talking about construction “freeze” while, on the ground, construction has continued unabated.