Yasuf at a Glance:
Yasuf village is located 5 km northeast of Salfit City (Salfit Governorate). It is also located about 15 km to the south of Nablus City. Its population is about 1,500 most of them are working in agriculture, particularly in olive trees raising. It is affected from the colonial campaign on the land of Palestine. This is represented in the establishment of Tapuah settlement in 1984. This settlement started as a military site and followed by transforming it to a continuous expanding settlement. In 1997, unpaved road with 3 km length was established between Tapuah and Ariel settlements. Two years after that, a colonial nucleus was established beside this road. These aggressions led to uprooting about 1500 fruitful trees belonging to farmers at Yasuf.
Tapuah settlement: Location:
The settlement is located 500 m east of Yasuf village and on a site called Jabal Abu Alsuwaid.Date of Establishment: In 1978, a land was taken over for security reasons and a military site was established on it. This site was then transformed to a settlement in 1984. Since then, the settlement has been continuously expanded at the expense of the land belonging to Yasuf village. The estimated area of the settlement is about 500 donums in addition to 700 dunums surrounding the settlement.The New Violation:
On 10th of January, 2000 a colonial nuclei was established on Khalayel Alsha'ir site on an area of 34 donums. It is started with fixing a water reservoir and electrical generator; three flats belonging to colonialists from Tapuah settlement were brought and fixed also on the site. The Palestinian farmers were prevented from using their land surrounding the site taking in consideration that the new colonial site was established near the unpaved road connecting Ariel and Tapuah settlements and is 1 km far from Tapuah settlement.
Land Holders:
1. Yusuf Mustafa Salah, 12 donums and on his land the flats and water reservoir were fixed.
2. Rashid Mustafa Salah, 12 donums.
3. Mohammad Abed Alhamid, 10 donums.
Violations Resulted from the settlement:In addition to the new colonial site, the colonialists in Tapuah settlement are raising goats in special buildings adjacent to the agricultural land of the Palestinian villagers. The goats were let free grazing in this land. This led to the destruction of these trees and converting the land to semi desert with its bad consequences on the Palestinian environment.
Colonialists also, are releasing astray dogs and wild pigs that led to fear in the village and force the farmers to hesitate in going to their land adjacent to the settlement.Summary:
As a result of the above mentioned atrocities, the existence of this settlement led to the following:
1. Large number of farmers were diverted to other types of work as a result of loosing their land.
2. Negatively affecting the environmental situation of the village as a result of continuous overgrazing and trees destruction.
3. Spreading terror and fears among farmers that forced them to quit their land adjacent to the settlement.
4. The reduction of the farmers income as a result of loosing his land and agricultural means of living.
Please notice the special building in which the colonialists raise sheep. These cattles are grazing the agricultural land and farms of Palestinian farmers.
Please notice the longitudinal and horizontal expansion of the settlement.
Please notice the uncultivated land with trees are clearly seen. This is confiscated and colonized after preventing their holders from its cultivation for 20 years. Notice the surrounding land cultivated with olive trees.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
