Isolating ‘Izbat at Tabib in Qalqiliya Governorate

Violation: land confiscation Notification for the purpose of building a separating fence.

Location: ‘Izbat at Tabib – Qalqiliya Governorate.

Date: May 10, 2011.

Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army High Commander in the West Bank, Avi Mizrahi.

Victims: ‘Izbat at Tabib residents.

 

 

‘Izbat at Tabib, located to the east of Qalqiliya, has been set as a target for the Israeli colonial lust which tends to uproot the Palestinians from their and their ancestors lands. However, despite all the conspiracies and schemes; the village stands still and the residents are defying any Israeli scheme in an attempt to protect the village from falling into the Israeli colonial expansion plans.

 

In May, 2011, the Israeli Occupation Army handed ‘Izbat at Tabib Village Council a land confiscation order targeting 1 dunum of land located in parcel 2. The purpose is placing a 400-m-long security fence on the northern part of the village to separate it from by-pass road ’55’ (aka: Samaria Passover).

 

According to the order numbered T/05/10, and signed by the Israeli Occupation Army High Commander in the West Bank, Avi Mizrahi, the fence will be placed to protect the colonists cars passing through by-pass road ’55’ from Palestinian attacks.

 

Bayan at Tabib, ‘Izbat at Tabib Village Council Head, stated to an LRC observer: ‘Targeting the village is not something new! The Israelis do not even recognize the village right to exist. There are 45 unusable structures in the village; 33 structures threatened with demolition including the only mosque in the village. In addition, the Israelis refuse to designate an organizational plan to the village in order to de facto and acquire the village as a target for future colonial expansion’.

The Israeli Occupation Authorities handed Zidan at Tabib (29) a demolition order against his incomplete house under the pretext of ‘no permit’. He stated to an LRC observer that: ‘he is supposed to get married next summer but the Israelis are trying to take his dream away from him by demolishing his house, besides trying to drive all the youth out of the village’.

 

‘Izbat at Tabib is located 7 km to the east of Qalqiliya; its total area is 725 dunums inhabited by around 250 people. The village consists of 45 houses built out of brick or metal slabs. The Israelis do not recognize the village’s right to exist and threatens to demolish all the structures built after 1967 (33 houses). They also aspire to deport all the villagers to the nearby ‘Azzoun. ‘Izbat at Tabib was established in the 1920’s, long before the establishment of the ‘State of Israel’.

 

Nevertheless, the village has been treated like an outcast all these years and has been deprived from the basic services (water and electricity supply). Despite the lack of services and proper development the locals’ remained loyal to their village and kept expanding.

In the 1980’s, the Israelis started issuing demolition orders against the village houses.The villagers tried in vain to acquire construction permits.

 

In the early 1990’s, the Israelis rejected an application to have a proper organizational plan to the village claiming that the application lacks necessary documents. It must be noted that the part of the segregation wall surrounding the village devoured more than 273 dunums of the village lands; additionally, the by-pass road ’55’ devoured more than 12 dunums in addition to 70 meters ‘buffer zone’ which is inaccessible.

 

Worst of all, on January 3, 2007, the Israeli Occupation Authorities rejected the Organizational plan of the village. The Israeli Supreme Court claimed that the village houses are nothing but ‘agricultural structures’ that were illegally built. In addition, the village is only 2 km away from ‘Azzoun which is capable of incubating a 76% increase in its population. Such a claim is more dangerous coming from a judicial body showing that the Israeli Authorities of any kind are conspiring against helpless Palestinian farmers.