Violation: opening a road in agricultural lands.
Location: Roman and Fathura, 50 meters away from Tqu’.
Date: August 3, 2012.
Perpetrators: the Israeli Occupation Army.
Victims: members of Al Zir family.
Details:
5 Israeli soldiers stood to protect an Israeli dozer while it opened a road penetrating Palestinian private property. In 2001, the Israelis opened a road in Roman and Fathora area which is classified by the Israelis as a natural reserve area. Soon afterwards, the Israelis placed a number of caravans over 150 dunums of Palestinian private property and declared over 2000 dunums around the caravans as closed military zone.
The colonists took over the olive fields in the area and distributed the fields among themselves and have been using them as if they were their own. The owners access to their lands was subjected to prior permits by the Israeli Occupation Army but recently the Israeli Occupation Army prohibited the access.
The owners assigned a lawyer to follow their case up but they were surprised to see a road being opened in the area which indicates the Israeli intentions to erupt a new colony there.
A glimpse on Tqu’:
Tqu’ is an old Canaanite name which meant ‘placing of tents’; the crusaders called it ‘Thecua’ as it was one of their strongholds in Bethlehem area. Tqu’ has a great deal of Roman, Greek, and Mamluke ruins considering its strategic location. One of the most significant ruins is the ‘baptism basin’ which is a stony artifact that has been cut and formed. It represents a number of Christian sects.
It is believed that the artifact has been made around the 1750s; it is also believed that this is one part of a two-part artifact; the second part’s location is unknown. Tqu’ is surrounded by 5 Israeli colonies including Tquah, AlDavid, Nikudim, in addition to two other colonies to the south, Mizpe Shalim and Mushki Dar Got. Tqu’ total area is 9 km2; its actual borders extends to the east reaching the Dead Sea making its area 80 km2. It is inhabited by 8565 people.
