Soaking Nahalin with Sewage – Bethlehem Governorate

 Violation: drowning Nahalin with sewage.

Location: Nahalin, Bethlehem.

Perpetrators: Bitar Elit colonists.

Victims: Nahalin residents.

 

The colonists have been pumping their sewage towards ‘Ein Faris’ or the ‘Knight’s spring’ and old natural spring where, according to folk stories, knights used to rest and drink during their trips. The locals used to use the spring’s water for drinking and irrigation; however, the mixing with sewage water has intensified in recent years.

 

In 1979, the locals established a water network to take advantage of the pure waters of the spring. The locals were benefiting from a pure water source till the establishment of Bitar Elit colony on a nearby mountain summit. The colonists built water purification facilities and directed the drainage pipes towards Wadi Faris (the Knight Valley).

 

  

 

The drainage water started leaking into the ground and mixing with the spring waters rendering it unsuitable for human usage according to some tests of soil and water. Many families stopped building or farming in the area due to the spread of sewage. Moreover, they moved a stone crushing facility near to the village, spreading dust and disturbance all around the village, adding to the disturbance of the people.

 

The village received its share of the Israeli oppression throughout the years. It lost thousands of dunums to various Israeli colonization activities including Israeli colonies, by-pass roads, and the Israeli separation plans. The Israelis tend to fully control areas west Bethlehem in where Ezyon colonial compound is located.
 

In 2005, Israel made public their intentions to keep annex the large colonial compounds in the West Bank; the likes of Ezyon, Ariel, Maale Adummim among others will be within the ‘Israeli State’ borders for good. In addition, Israeli colonists of Bitar Illit pump the waste water into the main water spring in Nahhalin which feeds the wholre village, rendering it unusable.

 

The village is located 9 km to the south west of Bethlehem and 3.5 km to the east of the armistice line of 1949. It is edged by Bitar Illit and Hadar Bitar colonies (north), al Khader (east), Wadi Fukin and the armistice line (west), and number of Israeli colonies (Rush Tzorim, Ealazr, Allon Shevut, and Ezyon) (south).
 

The village’s total area is 17250 dunums including 496 dunums of built-up area, inhabited by 7460 people according to the PBS statistics of 2007. Israel has confiscated 2988 dunums of the village lands for colonial expansion purposes. 5 colonies inhabited by more than 30,000 colonists reside over the village lands. They are all part of Ezyon colonial compound which hold 11 colonies within.