On April 14, 2012, a group of colonists embarked on cutting down olive trees in a field owned by Shaker at-Tamimi. The field is located in Jalis Mountain, adjacent to by-pass ’60’. The owner said: ‘colonists attacks are carried out every once and a while, that’s why I keep an eye on my field to stop such attacks. On April 14, 2012, I saw a group of colonists, around 15, leaving Kiryat Arbaa colony and walkin towards the agricultural field. I kept an eye on them to see where they are heading; it was obvious that they were heading towards my field; they all tried to escape but with my son’s help, we managed to capture two of them. We called the Israeli Police to come and fetch them; meanwhile, one of the colonists sprayed me with gas and beat me in an attempt to escape, but we managed to restrain them till the police arrival. ‘
He said that he filed a complaint and that the investigation is supposedly on going although he never heard back from them.
Picture 1-5: attack on trees
At-Tamimi pointed that colonists of the nearby Givat Gal release their cattle in the lands in Jalis area causing drastic damage to crops. The traces of the attack are obvious; Jihad al Salayma said that the colonists cut 50 olive trees. Jihad said: ‘for a long time, we have not been able to access lands in the mountain because of the colonists obstructions and harassment; when we finally managed to, 50 trees were cut down’. Cut branches could be scene in the site; the branches were dry which means that they were cut a while ago.
The owners said that the colonists commit such crimes to force the farmers away.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
