Israeli Violations against the Palestinian Environment

December 18, 2010

Preface:

Every human being has the right to enjoy a peaceful, safe, and clean environment. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories; enjoying a safe environment is hard to achieve; the I sraeli Violations against the environmet are increasing on daily basis. The Environment is being defiled by the Israeli Government and colonists by torching agricultural lands, pumping sewage water, dumping solid waste, plowing lands, etc. The Israeli Authorities attack everything; the Israeli colonies established in the West Bank are a major source for pollution.

Israeli Occupation Violations against the Environment:

Sewage water:

The Israeli colonies contributed to the overall pollution in the West bank through pumping millions of liters of sewage water towards the Palestinian farms and residential areas which inflicted a great deal of damage on agricultural lands alongside livestock.

Table 1: Israeli colonies pumping sewage towards Palestinian lands:

Governorate	Location	Israeli colony	Inflicted damage
Hebron	Beit Ummar	Gush Etzyon	Destroying more than 100 dunums of agricultural lands
Hebron	Wadi al Samen	Kharsina, Kiryat Arba, Uten’el	Pumping sewage towards Wadi al Samen stream
Nablus	Deir al Hatab	Alon Moreh	Destroying 120 dunums; more than 220 olive trees
Jenin	The northern and western parts of Jalboun	Mirav	Pumping sewage and livestock farms waste damaging hundreds of village’s graves and polluting tens of agricultural fields
Jenin	Jalboun plain	Ma’ale Jalbo	Pumping sewage and livestock farms waste through special pipes in the segregation wall
Salfit	Kafl Harith, Marda	Ariel	placing a 3.5-km-long sewage pipe passing through Kafl harith and Marda lands.
Salfit	Kafr ad Dik, Salfit city, Bruqin	Barqan, Ariel industrial zone	Pumping sewage towards Palestinian farms and constructing more factories over Palestinian lands
Qalqiliya	‘Azzoun ‘Atma, Al Sahaweel	Shi’ar Bitikva	Soaking the school with sewage
Salfit	Wadi Qana, Deir Istiya, ‘Ein al Joza spring	Yakir	Pumping sewage towards agricultural lands and ‘Ein al Joza spring
Jerusalem	Wadi al Nar	Ma’ale Adummim, Kidar	Pumping sewage towards the valley
Jerusalem	Al Jeeb	Pigat Ze’ev	Soaking more than 100 dunums of land and destroying more than 2000 olive trees
Jerusalem	Old City	Colonial nucleuses within the Old City	Pumping sewage towards Palestinian residences
Tul Karm	Tul Karm city	8 Israeli factories behind the “Green Line”	Pumping the factories’ waste towards Palestinian residences

Source: Field work – Monitoring Israeli Violations of Human Rights Team – Land Research Center

The sewage caused the spread of various skin diseases’ in addition, it formed the perfect environment for the spread of various types of muroid especially during the summer and negatively influencing livestock and agriculture. The Israeli factories waste largely contributed to the destruction of crops and the pollution of the environment.

Soil in affected areas become useless and unsuitable for cultivation knowing that the polluters pass through large areas of Palestinian lands increasing sodium and other minerals rates and which is considered one of the main reasons for desertification.

Pictures of polluted lands

Sewage flowing through Beit Ummar agricultural fields

Israeli Polluters in Jalboun

Azzoun ‘Atma High School soaked by sewage pumped from Sh’iar Betekva colony

Olive trees turned dead after pumping Yakir’s sewage towards them

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation Authorities have banned the establishment of a water purification facility in Salfit. In 1999, Salfit Municipality started the establishment of a water purification facility; a project that was stopped by the Israelis who claimed that the station was being built in area classified ‘C’ according to Oslo Accords. All of Salfit Municipality’s attempts to issue permits were rejected by the Israelis.

The Israelis alternative was the co-construction of the facility in a project that involves Ariel colony; the thing that was totally rejected by the Palestinians sine Ariel is an illegal entity placed over Palestinian lands.

Solid Waste:

The Israeli colonies dump their solid wastes, especially the toxic ones in Palestinian lands; the most significant dumping sites are:

1- Qalqiliya:

Dumping site in Jayous

The dumping site is located in Qalqiliya and serves the Israeli colonies of Zovin, Alveh Manshe, Shamron, Janat, and Karte. The site is located 2 km to the south of the built-up area in Jayous and 1.5 km to the north of ‘Azzoun. The Israelis started using the site in 1989.

2- Jerusalem:

The site is ocated in Abu Dis town and is considered one of the largest in the West Bank with more than 3000 dunums of area. It serves Ma’ale Adummim and Kedar colonies.Israelis dump all kinds of waste in these sites including chemical, toxic, liquid, solid, etc.

Such dumping sites have been having catastrophic effects on human life in addition to any other living being. It also pollutes ground water and soil and spread disgusting smells in the affected areas.

Nuclear Pollution, Dimona Nuclear Reactor:

Since the establishment of the “state of Israel” over Palestinian lands; Isaeli has been trying to improve its nuclear capabilities ever since. Israel, with assistant of French experts started the establishment if a nuclear facility in 1949. In 1965, Dimona nuclear reactor was secretly established in Negev desert.

Everything concerning the reactor was held secret until Murdachai Fanono, a former operator of the reactor revealed some information and pictures of the facility.

Map 1: a map showing the radiations spreading in the area

Israel has been placed 6^th for having such nuclear capabilities; a classification that was based on the compromised info. More than 50% of the nuclear waste (more than 3 million tons) is being buried in the West Bank. It causes diseases, soil pollution, and drastic environmental damage. The Israeli Courts ordered the closure of a number of plantations near by Natanya and Kfar Saba because of their affect on the environment. The closed factories were moved to confiscated areas of the West Bank nearby the vital cities of Salfit and Tul Karm (north) and Hebron (south). The factories waste, liquid, solid, and gas spread cancerous substances into the atmosphere. Israel usually targets the Palestinian towns and villages closest to the borders.

Furthermore, the Israeli occupation Army damages the environment through the usage of smoke grenades, tear gas, and sound grenades within the residential areas or agricultural fields.

Israeli weapons spreading toxic gases and radiations

Land Confiscation and Destruction:

The total number of Israeli colonies in the West Bank is 203 colony; taking over 404356 dunums of Palestinian lands in the West Bank according to 2007 statstics. They have also constructed a segregation wall which turned the West Bank into pockets of residential areas. The ready part of the wall caused the destruction of 48746 dunums and will isolate more than 738500 dunums when it is done.

During 2010, LRC documented the following violations against the environment:

1. The Israeli Occupation Army confiscated more than 8555 dunums of Palestinian lands to be used for colonial expansion.

2. More than 1155 dunums were plowed also for colonial expansion.

3. More than 5100 trees were uprooted, destroyed, or burned.

All of these violations are considered of extreme danger on the soil and bio diversity in Plestine. The plowing of lands and trees and their replacement with colonies, by-pass roads, or the segregation wall decreased the green cover and stopped many species from growing again. In addition. The plowing and continuous bulldozing deprived many animals from their natural shelter and immigrate.

Also, it helped in spreading different diseases and insects that were unknown in such areas. It has also helped in the soil erosion through the cutting, destruction, uprooting, and burning of trees. any areas that were specified as “natural reserves” were turned into an Israeli colony overnight; this occurred in Har Huma colony, northern Bethlehem, and many other areas.

Scenes of lands confiscation and destruction:

‘EinYabous olive trees were destroyed in cold blood – Nablus

Bulldozing Yatta lands for the expansion of Susya colony

Lands colored black after being burned by Eli colonists – Nablus

Smoke rising from agricultural fields set alight by Barakha colonists – Nablus

Plowings in Beit Hanina for the expansion of by-pass road 20 – the Occupied City of Jerusalem

The Israeli segregation wall destroys nature and obstruct movement – the Occupied City of Jerusalem

Violations against culture:

Many civilizations have resided in Palestine throughout history; Israel is trying to manipulate that fact. Palestine contains many historical and cultural sites that belong to different civilizations. Jericho is considered as the oldest city in the world; Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jerusalem are also considered of the oldest.

Israeli violations against such cities have taken various forms including:

1. Setting Al Aqsa Mosque alight by Israeli colonists in 1969; Israel is conducting contiuous diggings beneath the Mosque.

2. The Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, 1994, committed by an Israeli colonists, Baruch Goldstein. Israel has announced the Ibrahimi Mosque as a Jewish cultural site in February 21, 2010.