Violation: Damage of 700 olive trees
Location: Awarta village/ Nablus governorate
Date: 11/07/2013
Victims: More than 22 families in the village
Introduction:
O’rta village, south Nablus, has been a target for the Israeli occupation with its racist practices and attacks. Since 1967, the village has been under constant attack whether by fanatic colonists of "I’timar" and other outposts or by the Israeli army harassing people on daily basis.
Details of Violation:
On 11/07/2013, colonists of "I’timar" cut down and damaged 700 olive trees in O’rta lands- Nablus. The head of the town council told an LRC observer that:" There is an organized campaign by colonists aiming at sabotaging the agricultural industry in the village beside hurting the olive tree for being a symbol of the Palestinian existence." He added that," the targeted land lies within the fence of the colony of "I’timar". Thus, Palestinians are not allowed access to the land since 2000. The trees in the land have been an object of attack by colonists who broke branches and pumped sewerage water into the trees. On 11/07/2013 and after beforehand coordination with what is so called the Israeli Civil Correlation Office, we could visit our land only to be shocked. The colonists have been trying to terminate the trees by sawing the branches. That led to total damage of some of them and partial damage to others.
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The town council filed a complaint against the doing of the colonists but the Israeli police did nothing regarding it. O’rta village including Tholth Abdullah is one of the frequent aims of the colonists. This is so because the Palestinian owners are not allowed access to their land while colonists do and the place is isolated. During the last two years, five attacks were recorded without any legal deterrent or obstruction. "I’timar" colony was founded in the 1980s and since then it has attacked the villagers and confiscated more than half of the land. They did not only steal land but crops, thus leaving people refugees in their own land.
There is apparent complicity between the fanatic colonists and the Israeli police and courts. Although farmers showed all the legal documents that prove their ownership of the land, the Israeli courts acknowledged none of the colonists’ attacks. This is an indicator that Israeli courts that are supposed to apply the law are taking sides with the colonists; thus encouraging them to carry out attacks. The result of the latest is hundreds of damaged olive trees.
